EXILED South African Kevin Pietersen may have played a big part in the regaining of the Ashes, but I can't say I'm happy about New Zealander Mark Van Gisbergen being drafted into the England rugby squad as soon as he became eligible.

Scotland embraced a boatload of kilted Kiwis a few years ago and look where it's got them. It was their own Sir Walter Scott who wrote: "Breathes there a man with soul so dead who never to himself hath said 'This is my own, my native land'."

The world's a much smaller place than when Sir Walter flourished his quill and he wouldn't find many of his clansmen in an Old Firm derby. Patriotism is evidently so outdated that England footballers show little pride in wearing the shirt. And rugby players retire at 31 from international duty, as Jason Robinson has done, clearing the way for Van Gisbergen.

The big plus, for me, of Pietersen's Ashes-clinching innings, apart from it being an extraordinary exhibition of strokeplay, was that it buried any fear that Graham Thorpe should have been batting at No 5 instead. Unlike Shane Warne, who bestrode domestic troubles like the cricketing colossus he is, Thorpe has not been shy of turning his back on England and finally opted out with petulant haste when not selected.

If national pride is in decline there is an argument that people like Pietersen and Van Gisbergen have every right to realise their ambitions to play international sport away from their native land. But the more we open our doors to imports the less opportunity there is for our own, which makes little sense at a time when academies are mushrooming. We are dangling carrots then taking them away.

England's 30-man rugby squad includes James Simpson-Daniel, who comes from Yarm but plays for Gloucester, and among the reserves is Newcastle's Mathew Tait.

They are both highly skilful ball players whose talents ought to be nurtured in midfield, yet they find themselves on the wing because their clubs can't afford to be patient. In the race to find a short-cut to success they feel they need an experienced import in midfield, who in Gloucester's case is Henry Paul.

It strikes me that Paul has had more than enough time to translate his Rugby League expertise into 15-a-side stardom and it's time he made way for Simpson-Daniel. Tait has more time, but I hope he's not still being kept out of midfield by Mark Mayerhofler in two years.

THE same problems are now afflicting cricket, thanks to Leicestershire breaking a gentlemen's agreement between the counties not to bring in extra imports over and above the two official overseas players.

Once the dam was breached the floodwaters rushed in, and it can be argued that despite their double promotion this season Durham's development of young batsmen went into reverse. At least they were still fielding six locals in the team for most of the season, whereas hardly any featured at Derbyshire, Northants and Hampshire.

Counties are to have part of their handout from central funds withheld next season if they field more than two players not qualified for England, and the "fines" are to increase in 2007 to a level where they will seriously hurt the less affluent. Some will no doubt argue it's against the law, but there simply has to be an agreement to defeat the sort of ludicrous situation which saw Northants field a hopeless South African left-arm seamer against Durham at the expense of England's most promising young spinner, Monty Panesar.

If Panesar played in every game and had the chance to develop his batting, the England selectors might have chosen him for Pakistan instead of taking the backward step of picking Shaun Udal.

RUGBY'S new-look Powergen Cup, featuring the four Welsh super clubs and the Guinness Premiership teams, kicks off this weekend. There are four groups of four, which means that half of the clubs, including Newcastle, are at the immediate disadvantage of playing two of their three group games away from home. There was a similar situation in cricket's Twenty20 Cup this year. Why is it beyond the wit of sports bodies to create a level playing field?

RADIO Five Live reported last Friday that Colin Montgomerie had had a row with Ian Poulter but they didn't bother to give the score in the Seve Trophy. Has sports reporting come to this - the controversy more important than the result?

The row was picked up by an intrusive microphone and blown out of all proportion, as were Seve's comments to Sunday newspapers that none of the world's golfers really impress him.

As the Ryder Cup has shown, team matchplay golf will always produce plenty of drama without looking for something else to spice it up and The Wynyard appears to have done a superb job in staging the event.

I just wish the PR people wouldn't insist that the course is in the Tees Valley. We all know that the only course in the real Tees Valley is Barnard Castle. The rest, as they say, is geography.

JOSE Mourinho said that just because Chelsea had won seven successive Premiership games the whole world wanted them to lose.

Sorry, Jose - it's got nothing to do with winning seven successive games.

Published: 30/09/2005