text: Brian O’Driscoll believes Roman Abramovich style investment is needed to turn English clubs back into a European force but admits that scrapping the salary cap would be dangerous. With the French league becoming a honeypot for billionaire financiers – comic book tycoon Mourad Boudjellal has used his chequebook to turn Toulon into double European champions – the gulf between clubs from the Aviva Premiership and the Top 14 is bigger than ever. Saracens are the only English team featuring in this weekend’s Champions Cup semi-finals and, with the west London side being major underdogs against Clermont Auvergne, Ireland legend O’Driscoll believes the domestic game needs to readdress the balance. Brian O’Driscoll believes huge investment is needed to turn English clubs back into a European force . O'Driscoll says it's a money issue for English sides and they need Roman Abramovich style investment . ‘When you walk about French dominance, the teams are coming from France but the players aren’t,’ said O’Driscoll. ‘It’s a money issue – players are not just moving to France for a tan. The English utopia is that each club gets a Roman Abramovich, who makes it their little pet. ‘Then they are able to extend salary caps and attract better players. That married with the best of the English academy players coming through – of course they’d then be competitive again. But certain English clubs are being squeezed and the cap is there to save them. Not many clubs are profitable and you have to be careful because the long-term picture could be trouble.’ While Toulon have flexed their financial muscles by recruiting international stars such as Brian Habana, Matt Giteau and Leigh Halfpenny, English clubs have found themselves priced out of the market for southern hemisphere superstars. The trend looks set to continue after the World Cup, with All Black trio Dan Carter, Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith among those already signed up by Top 14 clubs. Clermont, who face Saracens in Saint Etienne on Saturday, have an impressive raft of imports including Jonathan Davies, Zac Guildford and Napolioni Nalaga. The Massif Central outfit, according to O’Driscoll, are the best club to never have been crowned European champions and should be the favourites for the title. New Zealand's Dan Carter has already signed with Racing Metro for after this year's World Cup . Saracens (pictured training this week) are the only English team left in the Champions Cup . Among those expats is full-back Nick Abendanon, who shone in the quarter-final victory over Northampton. O’Driscoll believes that, along with Toulon flanker Steffon Armitage, the Englishman should feature in this year’s World Cup - calling for the RFU to activate the ‘exceptional circumstance’ clause geared towards overseas players. ‘From a player point of view: yes they should both be be picked,’ said BT Pundit O’Driscoll. ‘They are the players playing the best at the moment and you pick on form. But when you set out your stall early and you then have to backtrack a bit, I don’t know if you lose a bit of face. You create your own stick to be beaten with. ‘It’s better to have guys coming in during the autumn than guys coming in now for the August matches: hurry, hurry, get to know one another, get some chemistry. That’s difficult. But class is class. What is the balance you go for? Personally, I think you play the best players.’ Watch Clermont Auvergne v Saracens exclusively live on BT Sport 1 this Saturday from 2.30pm. BT Sport is the only place to watch top live matches from the European Rugby Champions Cup, Challenge Cup and Aviva Premiership.
target: Brian O'Driscoll laments lack of money in the English game .
  The French league has become a honeypot for billionaires .
  Saracens are the only English team left in the Champions Cup .