The benefits to the game are many, not least the likely ending of the French boycott of the Heineken Cup.

Compensation to the English clubs for unrestricted use of the players is thought to be in the region of £5m ($9.6m), roughly £150,000 ($296,000) per player.

The players involved will be on England duty for a month in November, and for the entire two-month duration of the Six Nations. They would thus play a maximum of 12 Premiership matches.

Whilst the RFU have not admitted as such, the likelihood of a 10-franchise top league in England is now nil. Indeed, the clubs are thought to be requesting an increase in numbers on the RFU Management Board.

Currently that number is one - Leicester Chief Executive Peter Wheeler, who has repeatedly found his position and opinions undermined by accusations of conflicts of interest.

As well as an increase in power on the RFU board, there will be the desired increase in the clubs' representation in Europe - the RFU's initial denial of which was the source of the Serge Blanco-led Heineken Cup strike by the French clubs.

So harmony may reign in England. International players will be fresher, the clubs will not feel sold short when their players are injured or away on England duty, and Europe's finest competition ought to come together again.

As the English players and union cast envious eyes over at the prevalent harmony in Wales and Ireland, the two governing bodies in England may reflect that this process might not have been so hard after all.