Paul Lewis: Time to pick offshore ABs

Carl Hayman's non-return and the threat to All Black rugby mean that, finally, we may have to change our way of thinking about selection of overseas players.

The reaction to Hayman's decision to play for Toulon rather than the All Blacks has been either:Open up selection for those All Blacks or New Zealanders playing overseas, orSod Carl, the greedy so-and-so; if he doesn't need the All Black jersey, we don't need him.

It's possible to wonder if New Zealand rugby is thinking deep or laterally enough about this problem. So far, the New Zealand Rugby Union has immovably maintained they will not select those not in New Zealand because of the fear it will ignite a gold rush to the Northern Hemisphere.

Maybe they are right and such a measure would drain even more top players. However, Hayman's move means it could happen anyway (see Gregor Paul).

Yet there is another way - and the path is being forged by the South Africans who, not for the first time, appear to be out-thinking everyone else.

While the South African approach may not be perfect, it has at least embraced attempts to deal with the threat posed by the Northern Hemisphere pots of gold. They have done so by three main courses of action:Making it more attractive to stay in South Africa.Luring back those who have gone.They do not rule out selecting players from Europe.

Players such as Victor Matfield were enticed back by finding large sums of money from private sources, bridging the money gap between the hemispheres; or mostly so. This is the same concept that retained Matt Giteau in Australia.

South African money, from a big investment company, also owns - or 50 per cent owns - Saracens rugby club, currently third in the Guinness Premiership.

Former Springbok midfielder Brendan Venter is director of rugby and the club, for a time, sparked controversy over the perception they were shelling British players in favour of South Africans.

But, in spite of fears Saracens would become a Bok enclave in the Premiership, they have just five notable Boks on their books - hooker Schalk Brits, halfback Neil de Kock, first five-eighths Derick Hougaard, South African-born but England-eligible prop Petrus du Plessis and midfielder Bradley Barritt, formerly of the Sharks and regarded as a Bok of the future.

It is not clear if the South African investment in Saracens was government- or SARU-inspired. Regardless, it has the useful effect of creating a link between South Africa and want-away players.

Barritt is probably the most interesting example, as he is a member of the 'second tier' players whom South African rugby feared would drift overseas if the path to the national jersey was blocked.

In fact, Barritt has a return clause in his contract if injuries or other troubles prompt the Sharks to send out an SOS - something that would likely not be agreed by a club that didn't have South African interests at heart.

Such a lifeline keeps a rope on a player who might otherwise be lost to their game and signals to that player he is still wanted and still 'in the system'.

All that may be of passing interest only to the NZRU. Finding a corporate investor willing to buy a slice of a Premiership or French club may be fanciful in these straitened times, as may seeking private dollars to shore up the salaries of leading All Blacks.

However, it is the South African policy on selection of overseas players that is of most interest. The Springboks have made it clear they will make at least passing use of their overseas-based players in their build-up to the campaign to retain their World Cup title.

When they play Wales in June, a week after the end of the Super 14, coach Peter de Villiers has said he will choose only a few home-based players, filling his team with players already in Britain or France. The team to play France the week after will be composed entirely of home-based players.

"We won't put the Springbok brand at risk but I will also never again have the opportunity to see if a [Joe] Van Niekerk or a [Wikus] Van Heerden can still play like they did a couple of years ago," said de Villiers in a recent interview, saying the Wales match could be a "trial" for those overseas-based players to claim a Bok jersey.

"I stand by what I said about not picking overseas players if there are players here [based in South Africa] who are good enough, but the World Cup only comes around every four years. I won't be naive and I won't cut my own throat, or take away the opportunity for the public not to have their best players at the World Cup but how will we really know if we don't see them first hand?"

De Villiers has often been a figure of fun but this seems a simple and elegant solution when stood next to the NZRU's blanket policy. The Welsh will not complain too much - as a team of second stringers would be less desirable for them.

It gives the Boks the chance to rest players in a 14-test season and to select Europe-based players like props BJ Botha and CJ van der Linde, loose forwards van Heerden and van Niekerk; and backs like Jean de Villiers, Butch James, Gcobani Bobo, Brent Russell and Francois Steyn.

Steyn is perhaps the exception - the one who got away. Now playing in Paris, the young man who can play anywhere between 10 and 15 and who has a booming goalkick, drop kick and punt is unquestionably a long-term Springbok.

However, there are hints that a personality clash between Steyn and Peter de Villiers has seen him lost to Bok rugby, with the coach saying he may not select Steyn unless he returns.

But the feared exodus of players after last year's Lions tour has not really occurred in South Africa - and the time may now be right to take similar measures for the All Blacks.