YET another revolutionary plan for the future of Welsh rugby could be destined for the dustbin.

Despite all the hype and general agreement that something needs to be done to save Welsh rugby and guarantee its future David Moffett's plan for four provincial teams could yet perish.

The leading clubs tried to get agreement on five teams, merged and stand alone, but could not agree. So Moffett pressed ahead with his plan for four provinces on a franchise system to be put out to tender.

The WRU general committee backed his idea, and they will now put it to the vote of all 239 WRU clubs at an extraordinary meeting on February 23.

But, despite the clamour for change, don't think that's the end of it, far from it. There's a lot of mileage left in this one yet.

Welsh rugby has a history of rejecting reports and recommendations.

Only last year the eagerly-awaited Sir Tasker Watkins report on the game failed to find favour with the WRU who commissioned it in the first place.

In fact, the situation became so absurd that WRU chairman Glanmor Griffiths actively campaigned against his president Watkins.

The report was ditched among incredulity from the authors of the report who had spent two years producing it at the request of the WRU.

In the past, stars like Jonathan Davies and Ieuan Evans have made requests to speak at WRU annual meetings to try to influence the future. They were turned down.

Now comes the Moffett plan, arguably the most controversial and far reaching of them all. I'll advance two reasons why it is far from being an open and shut case.

The four-team plan will be put out to tender, basically going to the highest bidder, though all sorts of other things will come into consideration.

But given that the areas the teams will be based have already been set out it's pretty clear the four centres will be Newport, Cardiff, Llanelli and Bridgend.

That leaves Pontypridd and Swansea, in particular, at best thoroughly disadvantaged and at worst wiped out.

They are understandably furious, though that in itself is not grounds for legal action.

But what is is the breaking of a loyalty agreement with the WRU guaranteeing them at least £400,000, with another five years to run, from TV and European money.

If it does come to legal action Moffett has already said he will not involve the WRU in costly litigation and will back off.

In that event we will be back to nine teams after all, the status quo remaining. Even if it does not come to that, what price the egm actually passing Moffett's proposals?

The vast majority of clubs have now realised how the plan would drastically cut their funding.

The idea is for a 12-team premier division to run under the four provinces, made up of the current nine premier sides plus the top three in the present First Division.

The nine premier sides would basically be development outfits, under-21s plus a few players not required for the provincial line-up.

But there would still be room for only three of the present First Division. The rest would stay as they are, but with funding from the WRU reduced from around £80,000 to just £8,000 as they are forced to become amateur clubs again.

The idea is to stop players being paid below provincial level, other than part-time players in the new premier division.

Are clubs in the current First Division, 13 of them in fact, who fail to join the new premier going to vote to become amateur clubs? Are they going to vote for a cut in funding of over £70,000? I doubt it very much.

Self interest will take over at that level as well, as it will lower down the divisions. Current Third Division clubs receive around £14,000 a year from the WRU. Are they also going to vote for a cut?

The rumblings are there already, with First Division clubs anxious to meet with Glanmor Griffiths to express their concerns.

So you just wait. I may not be a betting man, but I wouldn't mind having a few quid on the outcome of all this being the nine clubs we have now.

And then just watch the bankrupties roll in. One premier club would fold overnight, and others would follow.

We'd get down to four clubs, probably by Christmas with even less central funding next season than this and benefactors walking away or cutting their involvement, but it would be achieved by bankruptcies.

The strong would survive, but there aren't many of those.

Llanelli wouild be one and while I find their attitude more selfish than most, totally unprepared to even consider merging, why should they?

They could be European champions at the end of the season and cease to exist at any meaningful level next year. That's just plain madness.

Llanelli and the rest have now thrown themselves to the mercy of the rest of the membership at the vote next month, if legal action by Pontypridd and Swansea doesn't scupper it altogether.

But I have a vision of Moffett's plan being thrown out and none other than Glanmor Griffiths riding in on his white charger to save the day for the clubs who keep him where he is.

Might he then at last get the gong from the Palace he so craves? Don't bet against any of it.