Sheridan and Regan hit by Baa-Baa ban

Bristol hooker Mark Regan and Sale prop Andrew Sheridan are affected by a ruling from the Premiership. This instructs their 12 clubs not to release any players for a celebration match against the World Cup winners on December 1 because it clashes with the final round of ties in the Anglo-Welsh club tournament, the EDF Energy Cup.

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'We cannot and will not release players for that game because we have to prioritise our competition,' said Mark McCafferty, chief executive of Premier Rugby Ltd.

'No English players with Premiership clubs will be available. We spoke to the Barbarians about this well over a year ago.

'Our message all along has been that we are very willing to work with them on their post-season games but they have to understand that it is not possible for us to release players during the season for this type of representative fixture.

'I am not surprised they have approached players but I am disappointed because we made our position clear to them.'

The Baa-baas were last night standing by their plan to include the pair. 'We would not invite a player with whom we did not have proper contractual arrangements,' said ex-England and Lions prop Mike Burton, a member of the Barbarians committee.

'I hope that the Premiership does not induce players to break their contracts with us or interfere with the performance of those contracts.'

Regan, whose club Bristol are at home to Leeds that weekend, said: 'I have been asked to play for the Barbarians. It's an honour to play against South Africa and a good chance to play on the big stage. I'm not saying I'll play because this is something I will have to discuss with the club.'

Jason Robinson, the solitary English player free of any Premiership obligation who had hoped to turn his Barbarians' induction into a Twickenham farewell, has abandoned all hope of recovering in time from the shoulder dislocation he suffered during the World Cup Final 17 days ago. He will be replaced at full back by the dashing Argentine, Ignacio Corleto.

Sale have been asked to release Sebastien Chabal for Baa-baas duty alongside Sheridan despite the match clashing with their winner-takes-all tie at Leicester.

Harlequins' decider at The Stoop against the rampant Ospreys has already had to be put back 24 hours — to December 2 — because of police objections to two matches in the locality on the same afternoon.

Brian O'Driscoll is to captain the famous touring club, whose cast for the occasion includes All Blacks Jerry Collins and Sitiveni Sivivatu, Wallabies' Chris Latham, Matt Giteau and Rocky Elsom plus the Argentine pair Juan-Martin Hernandez and Mario Ledesma.

Meanwhile, Warren Gatland's appointment as Wales head coach moved closer following a weekend of talks with the Welsh Rugby Union which included a seat in their hospitality suite at the Millennium Stadium for Joe Calzaghe's fight.

The 44-year-old Kiwi headed off on an Irish holiday yesterday talking excitedly at the prospect of his first match in charge.

'What a start — England at Twickenham in the Six Nations,' he said. 'If it comes off, I could not be joining at a better time.'

As for the likelihood of renewing his prize-winning alliance with Wasps' head coach Shaun Edwards, that was clearly a matter for another time.

'Until anything is finalised, that is pure speculation,' he said. 'It would be unfair to comment, especially as Shaun is under contract at Wasps.'