Clive's way a cruel dream for Ashton

One way or another the game is in a fine old mess. Brian Ashton, the England coach, said he was "absolutely delighted" that Leicester and Wasps would be contesting the final of the Heineken Cup. It's a good advertisement for English rugby and the Guinness Premiership and all that, but at the same time he must have been cursing Sod's Law.

Today Ashton will take stock of who is fit and available to play two Tests in South Africa, the first in Bloemfontein on 26 May, the second in Pretoria on 2 June. The 32-man squad will leave on 15 May without a whole host of international players from Leicester and Wasps, who clash at Twickenham on 20 May. A contingent from Bath, who are in the European Challenge Cup final the day before, are also out of the equation. Take away a few injured players and England are missing 30 names before they start.

It could even be more if Ashton decides to rule out players who feature in the Premiership final on 12 May, and if that match is between a club or clubs other than Leicester and Wasps. At the end of a torrid season the players are in need of R & R, which does not stand for a roasting in the Republic. The last thing they need are fixtures against the Springboks, particularly as the two countries meet in the World Cup in Paris on 14 September. All in all, it amounts to a major cock-up on the scheduling front.

The prospect of meeting a seriously depleted England is not going down well in South Africa either, although they can't complain too loudly. When the Boks were at Twickenham last autumn (hence the quid pro quo for the forthcoming series), 12 of their finest were resting at home. They still managed to win the Second Test, a result that spelt the end of the reign of Andy Robinson.

In a World Cup year, which is already preceded by warm-up matches - England play France twice and Wales in the summer - who needs tours? It is not a mistake that is likely to be repeated. A proposal will be put to the International Rugby Board for an end to any excursions that will affect the World Cup in New Zealand in 2011.

It has not been a good month for the IRB, whose chairman, Syd Millar, described the withdrawal from the Heineken Cup of the leading English and French clubs as "disgusting". He decided to enter the fray after reading the outspoken comments of Keith Barwell, the Northampton chairman, in an interview in the Independent on Sunday.

In response, the French clubs met with Millar in Paris last weekend, and yesterday he had a tte-a-tte with Premier Rugby and the Rugby Football Union at Heathrow. The clubs want the Union's shareholding in the Heineken, a prospect that prompted the southern- hemisphere countries to display solidarity with the authorities over the governance of the game. This, in part, is due to the frustration felt by New Zealand, South Africa and Australia at losing players to clubs in England and France, where they are offered bigger salaries.

"I'm slightly uncomfortable about relinquishing our stake in Europe," Martyn Thomas, the RFU chairman, said. "The other home countries don't do it. In soccer, you don't find Manchester United saying they want a share in running the Champions' League. Having said that, it's not something we wouldn't consider if we could reach a proper agreement with the clubs."

The irony, of course, over England's diluted party for South Africa is that the IRB insist on giving priority to international fixtures; yet it is a European club competition that has weakened the Red Rose brigade, the same competition that the IRB have pledged to defend against the Anglo-French threat. A world in disunion.

Meanwhile, Ashton explained his decision to ignore the likes of Martin Corry, Lewis Moody, Julian White, George Chuter, Phil Vickery, Joe Worsley, Tom Rees, Danny Grewcock and Matt Stevens on three counts: the players would not have time to acclimatise for a battle at altitude; it gives them an opportunity to "recharge their batteries"; and "I feel very strongly that the players I select must be shown respect and trust". The odd replacement may be flown out, but he does not want a planeload for the Second Test. The scenario has been compared with the "tour from hell" in 1998, when England played seven matches in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa and lost the lot. It is not that bad, but nor is it the World Cup preparation of 2003, when they beat the All Blacks and Wallabies and five months later lifted the Webb Ellis Cup. That team have long broken up, but even so six players who appeared in Sydney could, at a push, travel to South Africa - Mike Catt, Iain Balshaw, Jason Robinson, Ben Cohen, Jonny Wilkinson and, the only forward, Richard Hill.

Catt, who took over the leadership from an injured Vickery for the last two matches of the Six Nations, could be Ashton's captain for South Africa in a back line missing only the scrum-half Harry Ellis from that which faced Wales in Cardiff last month. The No 9 jersey rests between Shaun Perry of Bristol and Paul Hodgson of London Irish, with either Wilkinson or Toby Flood at stand-off. If fit, Shane Geraghty should also travel. There is no shortage of centres or wings, with Catt, Mathew Tait, Anthony Allen, Andy Farrell and Jamie Noon and, wider out, Robinson, Cohen, David Strettle and Mark Cueto. Balshaw or Mike Brown, who has had a fine season with Quins, could wear No 15.