Hastings defends England's clubs

Hastings says five days should be ample preparation time for players

Scott Hastings has defended English clubs in their row with the Scottish Rugby Union over the access to players before internationals.

The former Scotland centre says the clubs are merely complying with present rules over preparation time.

"Players will only be released five days before an international Test match, not for one-off sessions," he told BBC Sport.

"While the Scottish Rugby Union might complain, that is the law right now."

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

However, the English Rugby Football Union has an additional, voluntary agreement with Premier Rugby whereby it pays to have access to players outside international windows.

Ten England-based players - including Jason White, Alasdair Strokosch, and Sean and Rory Lamont - were refused permission to attend a recent Scotland squad gathering and Scottish Rugby has made representations to the International Rugby Board over the issue.

If they want to ask for more release for players then it's up the IRB to step in and work out an infrastructure that allows those players to be released Scott Hastings

"If they want to ask for more release for players then it's up the IRB to step in and work out an infrastructure that allows those players to be released," said Hastings.

"When the English clubs are contracting those players directly, times have changed.

"It used to be the goodwill of the clubs releasing the players. Those times are different in the professional age.

"It seems to hamper the game in terms of its progress. Ultimately, maybe we have to sit down and like an Acas meeting and thrash it out because it doesn't do the image of the game any good."