Tom Youngs has admitted that he is "pretty annoyed" at the prospect of seeing overseas-based players being brought into England's World Cup training squad.
It has been claimed this week that Toulon flanker Steffon Armitage and Clermont Auvergne full-back Nick Abendanon could be selected by Stuart Lancaster later this year.
If that is to be the case, England will have to break the ban currently in place which prevents them from selecting French-based players.
Youngs would not be directly affected should the duo earn a call-up, although he has insisted that it could set a damaging precedent.
"Over the last few years, the graft you have done to get into the England squad and then for someone to come from abroad to take your spot you would be pretty gutted," the 28-year-old is quoted as saying by The Telegraph. "I don't know how well it would go down with the whole team.
"It is not just the individual affected, but it is the other guys who might look upon that and might not agree with it. Stuart has built a culture within this group of players so it is a very tough decision for him. Does he want to disrupt it? That's a question you would have to ask him.
"Personally for me, if he brought someone in [to compete with me] I would be pretty annoyed like anyone else would be. The whole thing about playing for England, it still comes down to a player's decision whether to go across or not. No one is forced across there. It comes down to your personal decision whether you want to do something different and experience a different lifestyle then that's the decision you make by going across there, but then you jeopardise your England place."
Youngs has made 22 appearances for England, while also representing the British and Irish Lions on three occasions.
Daniel Lewis
