AMID the celebrations of England National Division's victory over South Africa at Sixways, coach Phil Davies cut straight to the real issue on Tuesday night.

"All of the lads played from the heart and you can do a lot with passion... It's a great result for the whole division and it should give us the credibility we deserve".

Should do, could do but almost certainly won't.

Premiership clubs will look down their nose at the result and insist it was a warm-up match with little consequence. They will argue the result was a one-off and anything could happen in such circumstances. The fact that a bunch of these National Division paupers have beaten a professional outfit such as the Springboks is merely a reflection of how badly South Africa played rather than an endorsement of National League quality. That would have been the tone of numerous conversations and justifications when officials from England's top clubs returned to their shared football grounds after visiting Sixways' outstanding complex. By Tuesday night, rugby's elite had once again showed their ability to heap farce on farce by delaying any decision on the proposal to come out of the Popplewell meeting. The inquiry which was organised to cut through the opinions and egos and bash out a solution had revealed a new proposal which was then approved by the Rugby Football Union. The new deal to offer one automatic promotion spot to the National One top dogs for this season and next was on the table. Good news for everyone involved you thought - but then you were hit by the sucker punch. After two years we'd then go back to a play-off system.

Not that there was any logic to it all but then, there didn't need to be because nobody would agree anyway.

The fact that the proposal to come out of the Popplewell meeting was then approved by the RFU actually meant nothing because the deal then went back to English First Division Rugby (EFDR) clubs and their Second Division (ESDR) counterparts to then be "mutually agreed".

That the clubs couldn't agree with each other if the future of the planet was at stake did not seem to bother anyone.

So on Wednesday, we got the response from EFDR to the new proposal - they wanted more information and more time to consider the road ahead.

That was the EFDR's response to the cry for deserved credibility - "I'm alright Jack". But even Jack was making the right noises this week when asked about the farce.

Former England coach Jack Rowell, now Bristol managing director, believed these delays were damaging the game's image. Bit late for that Jack, but at least he was still talking a good game.

"This has become a running saga. It's pulling rugby down and these are decisions where the bullet has to be bitten," said Rowell.

He added: "We've seen in the past week what happens when decisions aren't taken. Look what it has done to the players, and before that Rob Andrew resigned from the situation. These politics have to go away and let rugby union get on with it."

They certainly got on with it on Tuesday night at Sixways' sparkling surroundings. The purpose-built stadium held 6,000 plus fans as they shouted their team to victory. But as for rugby's decision makers getting on with it, there is still no conclusion in sight. They might as well be stuck in quicksand, scared to make any move for fear of sinking deeper in the depths.

The South Africans who came to Worcester this week certainly couldn't understand why a club with so much going for it should be denied access to the elite. They were perplexed as to why people with energy, drive and ideas should be suppressed in their bid to be heard in rugby. They have been used to seeing repression and denial of their heritage throughout their lives. They can spot the same sickening self interest that once ravaged their country until the establishment had to face up to the awful truth. The South Africans had to courage to change, now it's our turn.