Gloucester are confident of avoiding disciplinary action for ignoring an International Rugby Board directive by including the Wales scrum-half Gareth Cooper on their bench for last Sunday's Guinness Premiership match at Saracens.
The IRB told Gloucester on the morning of the match that they could not pick Cooper because Wales wanted him for an analysis session. Gloucester were already in Watford and did not have time to summon another scrum-half. Cooper did not get on to the field. "The decision was made in conjunction with Premier Rugby," said the Gloucester head coach, Dean Ryan, when told that the WRU was considering making a complaint to the IRB.
Premier Rugby said last night that the decision over Cooper was made in conjunction with the Rugby Football Union. "It was decided that custom and practice dictated that players not included in a 22 for their country are released back to their clubs," said a spokesman. "As Gareth Cooper was not in the Wales squad for the game against Canada, we and the RFU agreed he would be available for Gloucester. Part of the agreement we have with the RFU sees players who are not included in England's 22 returned to their clubs in the middle of the week and it was exactly that line we followed with Gareth Cooper."
London Irish played the dropped England lock Nick Kennedy at Newcastle and other national squad players involved in club action included Josh Lewsey and Shane Geraghty.
Wales, angry at Premier Rugby for refusing to release Cooper and Sale's Dwayne Peel for the November 29 international against Australia, which falls outside the Test window, were yesterday considering whether to take the matter further. The IRB is meeting next week to discuss the regulation governing player release.
Ireland's flanker Alan Quinlan and the New Zealand prop Tony Woodcock have been cited for alleged foul play at Croke Park on Saturday. The citing commissioner, the RFU's Peter Larter, has reported Quinlan for stamping; Woodcock faces a charge of punching. Both players will face IRB disciplinary hearings later this week.
The former All Black Doug Howlett will be at full-back for Munster against the New Zealanders at Thomond Park in Limerick tonight. Piri Weepu leads the All Blacks for the first time and only the wing Joe Rokocoko remains from last Saturday's starting line-up in Dublin. New Zealand give debuts to the prop Ben Franks and the flanker Scott Waldrom.
Munster Howlett; Murphy, Tipoki, Mafi, Dowling; Warwick, Stringer; Pucciariello, Sheahan, T Ryan, M O'Driscoll (capt), D Ryan, Coughlan, Ronan, Leamy. Replacements Fogarty, Buckley, Melbourne, Holland, O'Sullivan, Prendergast, Manning.
New Zealand Jane; H Gear, Tuitavake, Toeva, Rokocoko; Donald, Weepu (capt); Mackintosh, Flynn, Franks, Filipo, Eaton, Thomson, Waldrom, Messam. Replacements Elliott, Afoa, Thorn, Read, Mathewson, Kahui, Muliaina.
