Wales denied players

Guardian - Saturday, October 24, 2009 4:10 PM

However, Deacon Manu was this week named in the Fiji squad and may have a choice to make when Gatland announces his squad on Sunday.

PREMEIR Rugby has barred Welsh players who earn their livings in England from taking part in Wales's opening autumn international against New Zealand in Cardiff next month.

As the game is not in the International Rugby Board's official Test window, clubs are not obliged to release anyone.

The ban will hit Wales because of their injury problems.

The Ospreys today said that the scrum-half, Mike Phillips, had undergone an operation on his right ankle and would not be back in action until the end of February.

Dwayne Peel would be his likely replacement, but as he plays for Sale, he will not be released for the first of Wales's four November internationals.

The Wales coach, Warren Gatland, will be without his two leading tight-head props, Adam Jones and Rhys Thomas, next month.

Eifion Roberts was capped against Canada last November, but he also plays for Sale, leaving Wales to contemplate calling up Deacon Manu, who has qualified for Wales on residency grounds having played for the Scarlets for the last three years.

However, he was this week named in the Fiji squad and may have a choice to make when Gatland announces his squad on Sunday.

Premier Rugby has operated its ban on releasing players for non-official Test matches for the last five years, but Wales did reach a deal with Gloucester last season over Gareth Cooper, the scrum-half who was then based at Kingsholm.

Gloucester have two players hoping for a call-up this weekend, the fly-half, Nicky Robinson, and the No8, Gareth Delve.

"Our policy was made to stop players and clubs from being put in a potentially awkward position," said a Premier Rugby spokesman.

"It will apply across the board next month and means that clubs will not be able to consider any requests from Wales to release players for the game against New Zealand."

Wales go into camp after this weekend's round of Magners League derbies having reached an agreement over the release of players with their four regions, days before a high court hearing to resolve what had become an impasse.

Gatland has long warned his players about the consequences of moving to England or France and Peel has yet to decide his future when his contract at Sale runs out at the end of the season having fallen to third in the national rankings last season behind Phillips