ON RUGBY:Irish rugby has never had it so good and the role of top-quality overseas players in that happy state of affairs should not be underestimated, writes GERRY THORNLEY

IF IT ain’t broke, why fix it? Irish rugby has never had it so good, as is evidenced by the first all-Irish final to the Heineken Cup on Saturday week. A fifth Irish win in seven years is assured, and with the IRFU’s coffers swelled by €4 million-plus over budget from the provinces’ performances in Europe, the provinces are also handsomely repaying the Union’s investment.

There are also some new kids on the block in the final, with Ulster now rubbing shoulders with the Euro elite. That they are is in large measure due to the Union’s willingness to supplement Ulster’s recruitment of high quality, overseas players. Had they not done so, it’s doubtful Ulster would be in the final. (If only they would take such an enlightened attitude toward Connacht.)

And the benefits, which are incalculable, go way beyond one Heineken Cup run. There is the rejuvenation in Ulster’s support base, the general feel-good factor and raised profile of rugby in the province and the inspiration it provides for aspiring young players.

In addition to Rory Best, Stephen Ferris, Paddy Wallace and Andrew Trimble, the likes of Declan Fitzpatrick, Dan Tuohy, Paul Marshall, Darren Cave and Craig Gilroy are all contenders for the forthcoming tour to New Zealand and all are assuredly better players for the impact generated by Johann Muller, Ruan Pienaar, Pedrie Wannenburg, Stefan Terblanche, John Afoa and before him BJ Botha.

The Union’s concerns about the shortage of tight-head props is understandable, and the Twickenham debacle rammed home the point. But whatever about that, the new proposal to limit the number of overseas players to one specific position across the three provinces (excluding Connacht) and prevent overseas players re-signing and thereby extending their stay was invented after the World Cup.

Ireland did not lose the World Cup quarter-final to Wales because of overseas players, and particularly because Afoa was in Ulster and Botha in Munster. Afoa hadn’t arrived and Botha was still in Ulster. The shortfall at tighthead was despite the failed investment in Tony Buckley and the union would be better served at looking at the development of players, especially props, through the schools, academies and the neglected Ulster Bank League.

The madness of the restrictions on contracted players playing in the AIL was amply demonstrated by Jack McGrath not having had sufficient game time with St Mary’s to be allowed play for them in their last games against Clontarf and Young Munster.

It appeared the IRFU had seen at least some of the errors of their ways when allowing Leinster to extend Isa Nacewa’s stay by a further year but they subsequently clarified their stance by maintaining that this was not an alteration to their stated policy.

In truth, of course, the union should have granted Leinster and Nacewa a two-year extension. It would have shown an empathy with the province and a player who has three Irish-born daughters, and recognise what an iconic figure the Aucklander has become to the Leinster supporters.

Instead, were the Union ultimately to force Nacewa’s hand and force him to leave these shores to finish his career elsewhere it would show a staggering failure to appreciate that the longer an overseas player stays with a province it’s assuredly for the better.

By limiting the time they spend here to one contract, ie two or three years, the Union would limit the degree to which these players buy into their province and become part of its fabric; not to mention utterly infuriating provincial coaches, players and fans alike.

If it ain’t broke, why fix it? The same applies to the Heineken Cup, except of course that the English and French clubs are beginning to flex their pecks as the next round of negotiations to decide upon the format for the two European competitions looms.

Viewed in that light, and coming on top of five Pro12 teams making the quarter-finals and three making the semis, an all-Irish final is grist to the mill for the Anglo-French axis.

Admittedly, a final featuring two teams from the same country – no less than for the three all-French finals and the one all-English final – is not ideal, least of all from an ERC perspective.

That said, a Leinster-Ulster final is still probably preferable to a Leinster-Edinburgh decider, for the presence of the Scots would assuredly have been cited as an example of the lack of relegation or a more merit-based Heineken Cup qualification process giving the Celts an unfair advantage.

It’s a hard one to argue against, all the more so when you consider Connacht, in eighth, would have missed out next season but for an Irish team winning the cup on Saturday week, whereas the bottom two of Edinburgh and Aironi qualify again.

But then again, if the Might is Right Anglo/French axis won out, and their proposal to give the three leagues an equal proportion, it would run the very real risk of excluding one or two countries from the Heineken Cup in any given season. That goes against everything that ERC invented the European Cup for in the first place.

As ever, the big two are motivated by greed for a bigger slice of the cake and self-interest, with moves afoot in France, incredibly, to increase their top flight back to 16 clubs. Hence they want a reduction from 24 to 20 clubs in the Heineken Cup.

In any event, if not having such a fearsome battle for qualification, how come it’s taken 17 years for a Scottish team to reach the semi-finals, and how come the Scots, Welsh and Italians haven’t made a bigger impact?

Besides, it’s the more competitive nature of the Top 14 and Aviva Premiership which ensures a Stade de France sell-out for a Parisian derby to effectively decide who qualified for le barrage and next season’s Heineken Cup, as well as a rare 10,000-plus crowd in High Wycombe for Wasps’ relegation dog-fight at home to Newcastle.

Even then mind, Bristol are the only side in the promotion play-offs deemed sufficiently equipped to play in the Premiership and they trail Cornish Pirates by 19 points after yesterday’s semi-final first leg.

The RaboDirect Pro12 should be so lucky to have anything like the history and tradition of the Top 14 especially, or anything like the television deals and wealth generated by the English and French club games.