La Rochelle's new recruit, Jack Nowell, admits the RFU's overseas policy only makes English players more attractive to French clubs.
Making the switch across the English Channel has become an increasingly trodden path and Nowell, like a host of his ex-Exeter Chiefs team-mates, chose to make the move last summer. Nowell linked up with the back-to-back European champions but, by his own admission, doesn't think they'd have signed him if he was allowed to still mix it with England.
Nowell, following his international debut in 2014, picked up 46 caps for his country en route to numerous Six Nations titles. Now though he's ineligible due to the rule which states England players must be playing in the Premiership. That not only rules out Nowell but also the likes of Henry Arundell, Jack Willis and - soon - Owen Farrell.
The Premiership has stuck by the rule, despite calls to drop it, under the belief that their domestic competition will benefit from having its best homegrown talent present. That may be the case but French clubs know, should they convince any English talent to make the trip, they don't have to fear losing them mid-season to the Six Nations, which furthers their appeal.
Nowell, a Red Bull athlete, told Mirror Sport : "A lot of teams wouldn't have signed me. If I said 'ROG (Ronan O'Gara), I want to sign for La Rochelle but I want to disappear for nine weeks during the Six Nations' - would I be as appealing to the club? When they already lose loads of players to France for the tournament.
"We always talk about playing for your country if you play in a different country, but I honestly think a lot of clubs wouldn't sign players if they knew they were going to disappear for a long time. If you ask me now, do I want to play for England - If Borthwick asked me to and ROG had no problem with me doing it - then of course I'd love to."
He also added: "I don't want to take away from the Premiership, because I think it has been brilliant, they are really struggling at the minute, which is not nice to see. To lose three teams last year was horrible. I honestly think if they opened up that rule then a lot of French players wouldn't be prepared to lose all their French players as well as losing the English players they've signed - and even more so in a World Cup year."
The 30-year-old admits to a hint of regret in the white of England. Despite being involved in some defining wins Nowell felt as though his international career "wasn't as smooth" as others as he had to battle for his spot and deal with the highs and lows of selection.
He said: "I feel like I was very lucky to play as many times as I did. I feel like I never really produce my best rugby on the pitch with England. I had moments where I did some good stuff, but always felt I had more to give."
Now engrossing himself in French culture, Nowell endured the unique scenario of playing against his future club in last season's European Cup semi-final. Exeter travelled to Bordeaux in the last four and, despite scoring an early opener, were well beaten in what was a swansong for a squad that knew many of its pillars were leaving.
Their winger had already signed for the French outfit by that point, but was fully focussed on taking the Chiefs to another European final. It wasn't to be with his remit now to help La Rochelle win a third on the bounce - a feat only before achieved by Toulon.
Nowell arrives into a star-studded squad - including the likes Will Skelton, Grégory Alldritt and Tawera Kerr-Barlow - that have the medals to back up their talent. Their English recruit can also boast the tag of European champion having scaled such heights with Exeter in 2020.
He admits being able to train alongside stellar names, knowing he's achieved what they have, has been a plus. But rather than settling for his solitary medal, like his new team-mates, he wants to climb Everest again - which will require a win over Leinster in the Aviva Stadium this weekend.
Nowell said: "I think I can pass on experiences which is nice. I know that you can win a European Cup and then there's one of two ways you can go - you get some who are happy with what they've achieved and sit back expecting it to happen again.
"Or you have those who are hungry to do it again and know what it takes. This team have done it twice in a row, I know they're not happy to just sit back and let it happen, they're ready to work, but it is never easy to win it."
A scenario still exists where La Rochelle and Exeter could meet in the final of the European Cup. The team from Sandy Park has a very different look to the success of yesteryear. Henry Slade is the only name remaining of the generation that included Luke Cowan-Dickie, Nowell, Dave Ewers and the Simmonds brothers.
It felt like a sliding doors moment when so many left in the same summer, allowing Exeter to push on with their next crop of players. Nowell left behind incredible memories and a friend in Slade, who admits things won't be the same, but the boy from Truro has found the ideal challenge in one of France's rugby mad cities.
He said: "I think to leave was hard no matter what happened. If there was a time to leave, when some of my best mates were leaving, I speak to Henry Slade now and he admits it is not the same. It was never going to be. We went through so much together so it was a tough thing to do, to leave, but joining La Rochelle, I've joined one of Europe's best which does make it easier to crack on."
To find out more about Jack Nowell, head to his Red Bull athlete page.