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Club v country row hits Wales Test
October 18, 2008 - 8:53AM
Six Nations Grand Slam winners Wales saw their build-up to the November Tests against world champions South Africa, New Zealand and Australia rocked on Friday by an ugly club versus country row.
The country's four regional sides are at loggerheads with the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) over player releases and even national coach Warren Gatland has been dragged into the damaging public spat.
Now it looks unlikely that Gatland will assemble his squad until five days before the November 8 Millennium Stadium clash with the Springboks despite initially requesting they join up after next weekend's penultimate round of Anglo-Welsh Cup fixtures.
The regions could find themselves chasing semi-final places when the pool stages conclude between October 31 and November 2.
On Friday, they issued a strongly-worded statement signed by Ospreys duo Roger Blyth and Mike Cuddy, Scarlets chief executive Stuart Gallacher, Newport Gwent Dragons' Gethin Jenkins and Cardiff Blues' Bob Norster.
The statement read: "Given the absence of meaningful dialogue with the Welsh Rugby Union to date, it has become apparent that reaching agreement on extended player release, at least in the short-term, is unlikely.
Club v country row hits Wales Test - Rugby Heaven - Breaking News
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