THE English Rugby Football Union chiefs will spend the weekend studying the demands of the other three home unions after finally receiving a fax designed to take a step towards ending the Sky TV cash row.
The RFU expected to hear from their European partners earlier after they had met on Monday night to discuss England's latest peace proposals.
England's insistence on sticking with a solo contract with the satellite network is at the core of the summer long feud that resulted in them being thrown out of the Five Nations championship.
England have twice submitted what are believed to be compromises. But they do not alter the principle of putting Five Nations matches on satellite TV for the first time.
England's first truce move was spurned in Cardiff last month and when England adjusted their approach by order of Wales, Scotland and Ireland - it was still clearly not good enough.
The other three met at Heathrow on Monday, when RFU executive committee chairman Cliff Brittle attended at least part of the discussions.
But on Tuesday morning Five Nations Committee chairman Tom Kiernan said: "England's proposal was not in keeping with suggestions made by the other countries at Cardiff. We have therefore indicated precisely where improvements need to be made."
England may have offered to reduce their own cut of the cash so that the others receive more. But the others reject the principle of England negotiating either alone or on their behalf and have not accepted that Five Nations games should be broadcast on satellite television.
Now England are expected to deliver a response to the latest demands at the start of next week - leading to yet another meeting.
But the other three unions cannot afford to give England much more time. They need to hurry over the logistics of their alternative Four Nations tournament.
. Former England captain Peter Wheeler, currently Leicester chief executive, is due to have discussions with South African Rugby union chief Luis Luyt in Cape Town today to consider a new alliance between the countries.
They are likely to mull over possibilities of a major new tournament between England's leading clubs and South African provincial teams.
. The so far undefeated Ireland schools team play the fifth match of their nine match Australian tour against New South Wales Combined Schools at the Waratah Rugby Stadium in Sydney tomorrow.
They will field a much changed team, following the encouraging win over NSW Schools last Wednesday. Full back Tom Keating is the only back to have played in that game, while in the pack the survivors are lock Peter Bracken, skipper Barry Gibney and Leo Cullen in the back row.
