Rugby Union: Wales Complain About Taylor's Holding Clause

Wales have made an official complaint about Sale to the International Rugby Board after Mark Taylor was forced to withdraw from the squad to play South Africa in Cardiff on Saturday because of a clause in his contract that gives the Premiership leaders first call on the player.

Taylor, who played against New Zealand this month, would probably have been chosen against the Springboks with Wales, whose two leading centres, Tom Shanklin and Gavin Henson, are injured, forced to move their captain Gareth Thomas from full-back to the centre.

"We only knew on Sunday that Sale were invoking the holding clause," said the Wales coach Mike Ruddock. "I have asked the chairman of the Welsh Rugby Union [David Pickering] to raise the matter with the IRB because we want this issue sorted out as soon as possible to allow Mark to rejoin the squad next week ahead of our game against Australia.

"It was not fair to involve Mark in a tug-of-war this week: his mind would not have been on the South Africa game. Sale believe they have the right to play him ahead of Wales and we need clarity from the IRB. We have to be careful because there is a chance that the player could be sued by his club because of the holding clause, or even released from his contract."

The 32-year old Taylor, who has won 52 caps, signed a two-year contract with the Sharks last summer after being released by Llanelli Scarlets. "None of the other Welsh regions wanted him and Mark told us that his international career was over," said the Sale chief executive Niels de Vos. "It was on that basis that we offered him a contract. Even so, we have released him twice to Wales, for the summer tour to America, when Mark captained the side, and against the All Blacks. We were not obliged to do so and for Wales to paint us as the villains is out of order.

"We need Mark because we have injury problems in the centre and if Wales want to complain to the IRB, that is up to them. We are aware that it is not permissible to insert a clause in a player's contract preventing him from taking part in international rugby, but it is a different matter if the decision is made by the player himself. Our understanding was that Mark's appearance against New Zealand would be his last for Wales."

Taylor's former colleague at the Scarlets, Stephen Jones, will win his 50th cap on Saturday. He will be up against the uncapped Meyer Bosman, while the South Africa captain John Smit will be winning his 50th Test cap. Wales have recalled the Scarlets wing Dafydd James, who won the last of his 43 caps three years ago.