Player row will worsen - Beattie

Beattie played 25 times for Scotland

Former Scotland international John Beattie believes club versus country disputes will get worse in the future.

"Rugby rules are really specific that unions have first and last call for national squads," said Beattie.

"But my understanding is that will change as it's not defendable in law, since English clubs have primacy of contract over these players,

"The Scotland row is a real flexing of power by English clubs and I suspect it'll get worse in the next 10 years."

Ten England-based, including key players such as Jason White, Alasdair Strokosch, and Sean and Rory Lamont, were refused permission to attend a Scotland squad gathering on Monday.

Scottish Rugby has made representations to the International Rugby Board over the issue.

It's very disappointing. It was only one day we were asking for Scotland captain Mike Blair

And the IRB says it is trying to negotiate a solution between Scottish Rugby and Premier Rugby, which runs the league to which the players belong.

Former British Lion Beattie says that, in the end, the sport will increasingly follow the rules of business.

"You can't have a governing body like Scotland, who don't pay the vast majority of the money someone like Jason White earns, determining when that person will play rugby," said Beattie.

"I think we'll see a new agreement defining a lesser time period of availability for internationals, meaning we'll have less time to prepare for big matches."

Clubs are currently obliged to release players for international duty five days before matches.

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Beattie thinks player row will worsen

However, the English Rugby Union has an additional, voluntary agreement with Premier Rugby whereby they pay to have access to players outwith international windows.

"English clubs are run very much as a business," explained Beattie.

"If they're going to lose players to the international set up then it's logical they need money to bring in a replacement.

"They could lose players for 11 matches a season, and that's inconceivable without recompense.

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"For each player the sum is £130,000 a season. There is no such arrangement with Scottish Rugby and they couldn't afford to pay it anyway."

Meanwhile, Scotland captain Mike Blair says the absence of the 10 England-based players detracted from Monday's national squad gathering.

"When you've got some of your main guys from England unable to come up, it does take a little bit away from it," said the Edinburgh scrum-half.

"All we know is that, at the last minute, the guys were told they were not allowed to come up.

"It's very disappointing. It was only one day we were asking for."