I take your point DGFG, but not so long ago (OK several years ago!) we were glad of this rule when we were losing Jonah, Deano, Rodders, Sodje and others to various full international and age group matches.
I guess it shows how far we've fallen but we can't pick and choose. We might be glad of it later in the season when Haber and Waters are top of the scoring charts and Garratt has forced his way into the England set-up