England and France are planning to increase their numbers in next season's European Cup from four to five clubs each. But the improvement will almost certainly be achieved at the expense of Scotland and Ireland who will be required to reduce their representation from three district/provincial sides to two.

There is common agreement that the current format of the competition, which includes five pools comprising four teams each who play their games home and away, is working out satisfactorily. However, the English and the French believe the overall quality and marketability of the tournament would be enhanced if the Scots and the Irish both held a pre-qualifying event with the aim of having two teams each in the main draw.

English Rugby Partnership, the body that administers the premiership clubs, is keen to establish firmer principles on admitting teams to the European club strictly on merit. EP take the view for example that Sale, who finished fifth in the Courage League last season, would have been a more competitive force than say Scottish Borders or Ulster who between them have won just one game out of eight to date.

As an ERP spokesman remarked: "It just doesn't seem right that a club like Sale, who also reached the Pilkington Cup final, or for that matter Dax, who went through to last season's European quarter-finals, should be languishing in the European Conference this time round."

Obviously its a bit contentious to ask Scotland and Ireland to cut their numbers yet the truth is that a number of their sides keep on losing by fairly big scores. If, as seems likely, none of the Scottish or Irish sides reach the knockout stages for the third season running, the case for retaining the current quota will be substantially diminished.

The introduction of full-time professional training by the English and French clubs has given them an in-built advantage over ad hoc provincial sides who are still compelled to pick players already fully employed in day jobs. Competitiveness apart, the question of selling less attractive fixtures to fastidious spectators and sponsors in England and France has also prompted a rethink. Bath for instance had a home gate of £5,000 for last weekend's visit of Borders which did not compare favourably with the £8,300 they got for Brive or the £8,000 they expect to get for next week's visit of Pontypridd, the Welsh champions.

If European Rugby Cup does persevere with a total of five pools next season, they will seek to raise standards by including an English and a French club in each pool for the first time.

Those calculations could be upset though, should the Welsh, who currently have four clubs in the tournament, also insist on an increase to five. That would probably have the knock-on effect of turning the spotlight on the Italians whose clubs, Milan and Treviso together, have mustered just two wins between them.

Meanwhile, Clive Woodward, the England coach yesterday held his second full training session at Bisham Abbey without the active participation of six members of his elite squad - Jeremy Guscott and Simon Shaw among them - who are all injured. Two specialist coaches, Phil Keith-Roach (scrummaging) and Dave Alred (kicking) were enlisted for the day to work with the squad.