Lawrence Dallaglio, who once led the England squad on strike, is confident the club versus country row will be settled before the players turn militant.
Dallaglio was one of three squad representatives - along with captain Martin Johnson and Matt Dawson - when England refused to play against Argentina in November 2000 unless their pay demands were met.
That dispute was settled within days but there appears to be no clear solution to the current stand-off between the Rugby Football Union and clubs body Premier Rugby.
The 12 Guinness Premiership clubs and the French Top 14 have boycotted the Heineken Cup in a row with the RFU over shareholding and voting rights.
The players' union find themselves caught in the middle and their patience, which began to wear thin last summer, seems on the verge of snapping.
Professional Rugby Players' Association (PRA) chief executive Damian Hopley warned: ``If revolution is the only language that people can understand, thenmaybe we will have to ballot our members and see if they are willing to take strike action.
``If common sense doesn't prevail, then where else can you turn? The game is not so much shooting itself in the foot, as blowing off both feet.''
But Dallaglio, whose Wasps side face Northampton in the Heineken Cup semi-finals this weekend, is convinced a solution will brokered.
``Whenever there is a row in rugby it's normally to do with m-o-n-e-y and who gets the money,'' said Dallaglio.
``There are no many winners in that particular situation and I'm sure common-sense will prevail.
``I'll let the politicians get on with that. It's their job to provide the commodity. We're trying hard to provide the game and we'll let the politicians be politicians.
``I'm focusing all my attention on this season's Heineken Cup competition and this weekend's semi-final but hopefully it will all be sorted out.''
But at present the chances do not look good.
The RFU have written to Premier Rugby and the clubs warning that boycotting the tournament would leave them in breach of the Long Form Agreement - the blueprint on which the professional game is run - and contracts with sponsors Heineken and broadcasters Sky.
And RFU director of elite rugby Rob Andrew admitted yesterday the negotiations over a new agreement on how to run the whole professional game in England were ``back to square one''.
The RFU have not met with Premier Rugby for six weeks and the two sides will not sit down together ``until the temperature drops''.
The Heineken Cup will go ahead next season following an agreement made by the six union involved - but whether it includes the top flight English and French clubs depends on whether an agreement is reached.
The PRA will not set any specific deadlines to either the clubs or the unions - but strike action is no idle threat.
They are already canvassing the views of key members ahead of a meeting on Thursday at which potential strike action will be discussed, among other issues.
Chairman David Barnes said: ``I hope this talk of strike action does focus the mind. We want to see some progress.
``The RFU have not met with Premier Rugby since February. We offered to broker a meeting this week and it was not taken up.
``It is not through a lack of trying on the players part because the players want to play in Europe.
``There is simply nothing more pressing in the game than to sort out these issues. We are definitely looking to get something in place with regards to the European competition by the end of the season, which is in the next four weeks.
``That is not a deadline but that is when we would like to see progress by.''
International Rugby Board chairman Dr Syd Millar last week accused the clubs of attempting to destroy ERC and mount a challenge to the sports' governance.
England, France, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Italy subsequently met with the IRB and reached a new five-year agreement on ERC which confirms the governance rests with the unions.
That decision was today applauded by SANZAR - the unions of South Africa, Australia and New Zealand - who highlighted the dangers of allowing the clubs to threaten the established order.
Chief executive Gary Flowers said: ``SANZAR is concerned about the major global ramifications that would arise from any damage to the structure of the game in Europe.
``SANZAR support the continued growth of the European Rugby Cup and would not take any actions that could undermine the competition.
``However, such competitions have to be played under the governance of national unions as part of the wider, long term vision for the game.
``The national unions are the only bodies set up to govern the game at all levels, from the community level up, within their respective territories.
``Any watering down of this position only serves to threaten the strong status of rugby internationally.''