Wales see red over Sale move

WALES have appealed to the International Rugby Board to take immediate action after Sale Sharks demanded centre Mark Taylor be released for club duty this weekend.

Taylor would have been in contention to face South Africa at the Millennium Stadium but informed Wales head coach Mike Ruddock last Sunday of a “holding clause” in his Sale contract.

IRB regulations state players must be released for international duty during the three-week autumn Test window - but Taylor’s contract appears to give the club priority over country.

Sale activated the clause because their resources are stretched thin, with 16 players unavailable for Friday’s Guinness Premiership game against Leicester through international duty, suspension or injury.

Ruddock agreed to let Taylor return in order to stop the issue from proving too much of a distraction in the build-up to Saturday’s international - but he is far from happy about the situation.