Blackadder: Sort out Wales player release

Todd Blackadder, the Bath coach, has called on the game’s governing bodies to intervene over player release after his club was put in danger of a sanction for allowing Taulupe Faletau to play for Wales on Saturday, while Jamie Roberts was threatened with disciplinary action if he did not return to Harlequins.

Certainly, it was a messy, confusing day at Wales HQ as the contrasting cases of the two Lions were picked over. Faletau’s scenario is simple enough. When signing for Bath last year, the No8 had it written into his contract he would not be stopped from appearing for his country, whether or not the Test fell inside the international window. Blackadder conceded that Bath would take the punishment, which is likely to be a fine. England’s clubs have a blanket approach not to release players for games outside the window.

However, Roberts’ case is more complex. Apparently, the inside centre was led to believe that he could request release and his representatives made contact with the Quins management on Sunday, stating his intention to stay with Wales.

However, the 94-cap veteran was told that should he fail to be at training yesterday morning, and so be available for this weekend’s Aviva Premiership clash with Saracens, then he would be in breach of his contract. On Monday night, Roberts decided the wise cause of action was to return to the Stoop.

A Harlequins spokesman played down the affair to The Daily Telegraph, but there was concern on both sides that the situation could turn ugly. The 32-year-old’s deal is up at the end of the season and Harlequins could even have initiated a premature end to his time there.

“It’s something we agreed to and we stand by that,” Blackadder said. “They will probably enforce some kind of penalty and those are the things we’ll have to live with.

“It’s a real grey area but it’s something that we knew about. It’s another good reason to get the international windows right.”