Cooper available for Australia clash

The Gloucester scrum-half will be on international duty - rather than in Guinness Premiership action - following talks between his club, the Rugby Football Union and Welsh Rugby Union.

Cooper is likely to retain Wales' number nine shirt against the Wallabies, with Scarlets scrum-half Martin Roberts providing bench cover.

Because the Australia game falls outside the International Rugby Board autumn Test window, players like Cooper and his Wales colleague, Sale Sharks scrum-half Dwayne Peel, were subject to first call from their clubs.

Gloucester host Northampton at the weekend, with Sale tackling Leicester on Friday night. But discussions between WRU group chief executive Roger Lewis, RFU chairman Martyn Thomas and Gloucester chairman Tom Walkinshaw have resulted in Cooper being made available for Wales.

Lewis said: "I am delighted to have been able to secure the release of Gareth Cooper for this important international match against Australia.

"I want to publicly thank Martyn Thomas and Tom Walkinshaw for helping to conclude this arrangement in the face of difficult circumstances and against a tight deadline.

"The whole issue of player release for international duty is complicated and can be pressured, so I fully appreciate the difficult decisions involved in reaching a workable conclusion.

"Gareth is a proud Welshman, and the important thing is that he can now focus his mind on preparing for next weekend with confidence.

"We all understand the dynamic involved when a club needs a contracted player but his country also requires him, but this issue with Gloucester has proved we can resolve our difficulties if the parties are prepared to talk through all the concerns."