By Sean Martin in Wellington

New Zealand's starting XV to face Ireland on Saturday features just six players who ran out at the Millennium Stadium last October for their ill-fated World Cup quarter-final with France.

While some of the non-selections are due to injury, retirement and a lack of form, the majority of absentees have been lured away by the bulging wallets of European clubs.

The NZRU is allowing Carter a lucrative six-month sabbatical

The New Zealand Rugby Union has been powerless to stop the haemorrhaging of the country's best talent overseas, with a third of the 30-man World Cup squad already gone.

Of the 21 players who featured in the 20-18 loss in Cardiff, five are already with English or French clubs, Nick Evans heads to Harlequins shortly and Jerry Collins is also likely to take up a contract in Europe.

Until Tuesday there were grave fears that Dan Carter would join the exodus.

But now it appears the All Blacks playmaker will be able to get his cake and eat it too.

He will sign a new deal with the NZRU which will keep him in black until 2011, but get the opportunity to enjoy a 'sabbatical' - six months with a French club (most likely Toulon) next season - in lieu of another Super 14 campaign with the Canterbury Crusaders.

Oh, and the small sum of around �560,000 for his time in France.

This unique solution to the player drain however is likely to be the exception rather than the rule as the NZRU faces the prospect of many of its fringe players and future stars considering a future in Europe rather than chasing a place in the All Blacks team.

The bottom line is money. An average All Black will earn approximately �100,000 a season.

However, that figure is only guaranteed while that player is an All Black and they still have to pay insurance levies and tax on that figure.

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Those on the next rung down can expect to earn around �60,000 playing in the Super 14 and Air New Zealand Cup, the national provincial competition.

So the attractiveness of a deal in Europe, or Japan for that matter, is obvious from a financial perspective.

A multi-year deal can guarantee income at a fixed level (sometimes four times what they would earn in New Zealand) with all the security players crave.

And more and more are finding it too attractive to refuse. Nick Evans (Harlequins), Craig Newby (Leicester) and Isa Nacewa (Leinster) have already lined up moves abroad and more are expected to add their names to the list after missing out on All Blacks or NZ Maori selection.

NZRU chief executive officer Steve Tew has admitted the proposed Carter deal was put forward to help "stem the tide" as the union comes under increased pressure from French and English clubs for the signatures of New Zealand's brightest stars.

Craig Newby will swap Otago Highlanders for Leicester shortly

Tax breaks for rugby players was suggested as a way to improve retention rates, but widely dismissed as unworkable.

What the NZRU has been forced to consider is the prospect of private ownership of Super 14 franchises - a move which will reduce the burden on the union as the paymaster of the professional rugby players in New Zealand.

It could allow top players to be paid salary top-ups which may persuade them to stay in New Zealand.

It has been tried in one form in the past, when Fijian businessman Balu Kahn stepped in to privately sponsor Carlos Spencer to keep him in the country - for a while at least.

One thing which is non-negotiable, at least at this stage, is the edict that demands that players must play in New Zealand to be eligible for the All Blacks. But it may only be a matter of time before this has to be reconsidered.

While players continue to leave for riches abroad there is one silver lining - a host of new stars eager to step up and wear the silver fern with pride.

There were six newcomers in the squad to face Ireland and England.

Although only wing Anthony Tuitavake is guaranteed to make his debut against Ireland, the other five have a chance to make their names (and potentially attract the gaze of northern hemisphere scouts) over the coming weeks.

Their future prosperity may depend on it.