Jeremy Guscott column: Central contracts and fewer games will help us build a far better future

The rugby world is envious of England's mammoth financial resources but they are laughing at us now, having seen how ineffectual the RFU have become in using that fiscal muscle to produce a winning team.
Our World Cup debacle gives England a wonderful opportunity to start afresh. It's about finding the right solution to make England ultra- competitive again.
Winning the World Cup in 2003 came despite the system of the time, not because of it.
The arrival of some very talented players combined with some very clever coaches made it happen. It hasn't happened again because the talented players have not been developed and nurtured. They have been discovered but not coached well enough.
No domestic coach has been able to assemble a squad to dominate like Bath, Leicester or Wasps once did. He hasn't got enough good players to choose from and if it doesn't happen at club level it's unlikely to happen for the national team.
With all the available resources in the England professional and community game that's just embarrassing.
The system has a serious glitch:  there are enough numbers and enough quality at age group level to do England proud – but the emphasis on player development from that stage seems to be more about athletic development than skillset, and that has to change.
I believe the time has come to seriously consider centrally contracting the top 30 (the number can be flexible) English players so they can be better prepared and conditioned. The clubs' initial response to that proposal will be a resounding No because while they hold the players' contracts they have all the negotiating power over the RFU.
But I say clubs should look at it another way. The financial help they would receive from central contracting of key players would allow them to go out and try to produce four more George Fords or seven Joe Launchburys.
If that happened, the English game would have an even more flourishing, commercially successful and competitive domestic league plus a very successful national team capable of getting to the quarter-finals minimum in every World Cup.
Imagine all the cash that would be freed up for the clubs that produce English national players who were centrally contracted.
The pot would not be shared out between all the clubs, only those who contribute to the English cause. An English league should promote more future England stars, not overseas talent looking for a pension.
If those 30 centrally contracted players were given more time together as a squad to prepare even more than they currently do, and better players are being produced via a smarter system, everyone surely wins.
With the extra money, clubs would have a bigger, stronger squad able to cope with their best players being away – and all inside the salary cap!
The clubs should not worry about the RFU dominating future negotiations if this was put in place because the clubs would still have the contracts of the next generation of young players coming through and they control the rugby competition the players play in.
Another area of concern, I believe, is the number of matches our top players are required for compared to the Southern Hemisphere. The New Zealand RFU have control of their players and work out with the coaches and conditioning experts how many games each   player should play with physical and mental welfare a priority.
For instance the NZRFU made sure their squad did not over-play during last season's Super VX leading into the World Cup. They monitored their players very closely.
Finally, we have to have a programme that allows a player with the talent and ability of a Jamie George, below left, to reach his potential sooner than he did. He got stuck behind a couple of very good hookers in John Smit and Shalk Brits and while he undoubtedly learnt a lot from watching those guys he would have learnt a lot more quickly playing against them.
I would hope the central contracting system would allow for some loan movement so that players like George would come through to play in the league sooner. England need these potential internationals to be playing as early as possible.
What we don't want is the English professional rugby clubs messing up the national team as much as the English professional football clubs have with the England football team.
Please…will the smart people in rugby get together to create the best solution. When all parties involved in running our great game get their heads in the same space and work out a sustainable and adaptable system that works for all – that will be English rugby's eureka moment.