WE'VE been down this road before, so it's no surprise that back on the agenda is the number of leading clubs needed in Welsh rugby.

It's driven by much the same people as on previous occasions, only this team manager is a bit more vocal than the last.

And joining the list of past players calling for change is a current one, no less a figure than Scott Gibbs suggesting that his club Swansea should merge with Neath as one of the so-called super teams.

The message from this group of individuals ranging from Graham Henry, to Peter Thomas, to Jonathan Davies, to Scott Gibbs is the same - cut the number of clubs, pay fewer players, make them hungrier and leaner so that the super teams which result would be more competitive on the European and every other front.

Well, my message is also exactly the same - narrow the base at the top at your peril, combine clubs and risk them having no support, throw out existing clubs who have been around for many, many years and risk the ruin of Welsh rugby.

I couldn't be more opposed to those who see themselves as the great redeemers, or reformers.

Change by all means, or we'd all still be riding around on penny farthings.

You'd have to say that having an odd number of clubs, nine, competing in the Celtic and Welsh/Scottish Leagues is a bit daft, meaning that some Saturdays are free when clubs need all the revenue they can get.

Having said that, though, whatever happened to Saturday afternoon rugby? It's still what the majority of people want, but with television dictating, it's on a Friday night, Saturday night or Sunday afternoon, anything but 2.30 or 3pm on a Saturday.

But to return to the reduction of clubs agenda, just who is going to take the responsibility for telling clubs like Ebbw Vale, Pontypridd and even Neath or Bridgend that they're no longer going to be in the top flight?

They've all been around rather longer than Graham Henry or Alan Phillips. Who are they to tell these clubs that they've basically got to go to the wall?

For make no mistake about it, that's what would happen. They're all professional clubs with a great tradition, and couldn't exist in their present form - if they have to compete in a semi-professional First Division of Welsh rugby.

Two questions I would like to put. What happens when Henry returns to New Zealand and what would the proposals be if Cardiff were down in the lower reaches of the tables?

Henry's contract is up in 2003 when he is likely to return to New Zealand. What sort of devastation would he leave behind him with only four or five clubs left at the top?

And not so long ago Cardiff were at the foot of the table and struggling to stay up. Would chairman Peter Thomas be so vociferous in his calls for a reduction in the number of clubs if his own were languishing? I think not.

There's a lot of double standards flying around here.

As for combining teams and making them compete as provinces that never has and never will work in Wales.

Welsh rugby is club based. No-one is interested in watching combined teams as shown in the past when no-one turned up to watch county rugby.

Who would be interested in supporting, say, East Wales or Mid District? Precious few.

And looking at our pictures on this page, would these fans be interested in supporting a Gwent team or a combined Newport and Ebbw Vale side? Of course they wouldn't, it's nonsense to suggest they would.

Swansea combining with Neath is a crazy idea. Rival supporters hate one another, and that is in part what Welsh rugby is all about.

It is tribal, it is highly partisan, and long may it be so. Therein lies its great appeal.

So these people who want to cut all that off ought to think before they speak.

They are way out of line, and I suspect when it comes down to it, the Welsh Rugby Union will never support their plans.

If they do then the general committee members, who vote for such radical change, could find themselves out of a job.