Bath are likely to face disciplinary action after releasing Taulupe Faletau for Wales’s final autumn international against South Africa on Saturday, a Test that lies outside the official window.
Premiership Rugby has a policy that prevents clubs from releasing non-England players for these Tests and so are not governed by the regulation obliging them to make players available to national sides. It was waived last year as a goodwill gesture, when Wales’s extra international fell on an Anglo-Welsh weekend but Premiership Rugby has said the policy was being applied this weekend, when Bath are at the champions Exeter.
Bath confirmed they had released Faletau to play against South Africa in defiance of Premiership Rugby’s rule, saying in a statement: “We continue to support the objective of resolving the club and international calendar for the benefit of players, clubs and unions, which would prevent this being an issue in the future.”
Four years ago Northampton were fined £60,000 for releasing their wing George North to play for Wales outside the official Test window. His contract included a clause that gave him the right to join up with Wales whenever called upon. Premiership Rugby referred the issue to an independent disciplinary panel that concluded the contract breached a rule that had been unanimously agreed by the clubs.
Bath will face a similar sanction although Northampton’s fine covered all three years of North’s contract. The ultimate punishment is some kind of points deduction, but that is unlikely.
Warren Gatland, who on Tuesday lost lock Jake Ball and flanker Justin Tipuric from his squad due to injury, was last week asked whether he would have any of his England-based players for the match against South Africa. “We know that Toby [Taulupe] is available to us and I hope Jamie Roberts [the Harlequins centre] is,” he replied at the time. However, Faletau, who is understood to have a clause in his contract allowing his release for national duty, is expected to be the only Premiership player involved for Wales.
Five of the Wales 23 involved in last weekend’s match against New Zealand are based in England. The Gloucester centre Owen Williams and the Exeter prop Tomas Francis reported for duty with their clubs on Monday, along with the South Africa wing forward Francois Louw , who is a back-row colleague of Faletau’s at Bath. Faletau was with Wales.
South Africa’s head coach, Allister Coetzee, asked if he would be aggrieved if Faletau played for Wales when he had been obliged to release Louw back to Bath, said: “I just follow regulation nine and, from our point of view, Francois Louw is definitely not available for us. I cannot comment on the internal arrangement in the north but, if there is any agreement, I do not know about it.”
One Wales player who will not have to worry about the regulation next season is the Gloucester and Lions flanker Ross Moriarty. He is joining the Dragons in the summer, ensuring that he will not be snared by a rule coming into force next season that stipulates any player who signs a contract with a club outside Wales will not be available for the national side unless he has reached 60 caps.
