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Steffon Armitage and Nick Abendanon can make England training squad says Will Greenwood

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Will Greenwood believes England would be setting a dangerous precedent by including Steffon Armitage and Nick Abendanon

World Cup winner Will Greenwood expects overseas stars Steffon Armitage and Nick Abendanon to be invited in to England's training squad.

Toulon flanker Armitage and Clermont full-back Nick Abendanon have shone in the European Champions Cup this season with the latter winning the European Player of the Year award, and Greenwood expects England head coach Stuart Lancaster to make exceptions to his rule of not selecting overseas players when he announces his training squad on July 1.

Greenwood, who lifted the World Cup with England in 2003, told Sky Sports News HQ: "When you go to France, you have a different agreement in your contract with different release dates to those you would have at an English club.

"That allows Stuart Lancaster and the national coaches to have you for the build-up to the autumn internationals and the build-up to the Six Nations. If you're playing in France, you don't have that in your contract.

"For example, the opening night of the Six Nations - Wales v England on the Friday night. A lot of the Top 14 guys were playing on the Saturday or even the Sunday and would only have been able to join in on the Tuesday.

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"That makes it very difficult for guys who've been training together for nine days to say 'thanks for the training, now you're dropped.' It would disintegrate the team ethic that has everything to do with Stuart Lancaster.

"There is getting round that argument with saying that it could be written into the French contracts but the French wages as they are, there would be a flood of people heading over the Channel.

"My view would be to maintain the long-term financial stability and growth of the English club game, which is doing unbelievably well. If you're Nick Abendanon or Steffon Armitage you would be able to join the enlarged squad but there's no guarantee of coming in, putting on a white shirt and playing fantastically well.

"Mike Brown is still England's stand-out full-back. No matter how well Abendanon is going, he's still behind Brown in that place at full-back for the World Cup. They'll come in and if they perform as well as they do, they have a chance of making the World Cup squad.

"Who wouldn't want Armitage coming off the bench when we might need to play South Africa or New Zealand to win a World Cup? He can compete at those levels. I do think it sets a dangerous precedent though. It undermines the club-country contract that has taken so long to achieve to get peace in our time.

Giteau and Mitchell are coming in on a short-term basis. That's no different to what Stuart Lancaster can do on July 1. He can invite Armitage and Abendanon in
Will Greenwood

"Leicester coach Richard Cockerill has been vociferous about this rule. The last thing he wants is people heading to France. When Manu Tuilagi is fit, Toulon chairman Mourad Boudjellal would break the bank to get him over there. Dan Cole is one of the best tight-heads in the world. We'd lose all these local lads. It's a dangerous door to open.

"I believe at the moment, the ability to invite them in and prove themselves in the warm-up games, fine. They can play in the World Cup if they get invited and they prove themselves at the camp throughout July and August.

"[Toulon stars] Matt Giteau and Drew Mitchell will play for Australia but they won't go back to Australia (for club rugby). They're coming in on a short-term basis. That's no different to what Stuart Lancaster can do on July 1. He can invite Armitage and Abendanon in.

"I expect to see Armitage and Abendanon in that squad."

England kick off their World Cup campaign when they take on Fiji in Pool A at Twickenham on September 18.

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