Rugby Digest/England: England's top clubs warned the Rugby Football Union (RFU) yesterday that they will make their leading players unavailable on at least one proposed Test date next year, writes Robert Kitson.

While the clubs have stopped short of refusing to release players for this season's internationals despite the fraying relationship between the RFU and Premier Rugby, senior representatives of all 12 Premiership sides gathered at the Stoop to declare their opposition to England's scheduled "extra" Test against the All Blacks next autumn which has been arranged to mark the rebuilding of Twickenham's South Stand.

Premier Rugby's chairman Tom Walkinshaw said clubs were under "no obligation" to supply their England players for four autumn Tests, insisting the fixture was in breach of the current agreement between the RFU and the elite clubs.

He also revealed that the clubs' representatives were seeking an audience with the full RFU management board rather than negotiate primarily with the chief executive Francis Baron.

"We genuinely believe that if sensible people sat down in a room this whole crisis could be sorted very quickly," stressed Walkinshaw. "I don't think it's got to the stage where it's doing real lasting damage to the game but if it keeps on going year after year there will obviously be an impact."

Leicester's chief executive Peter Wheeler, meanwhile, claims that the Tigers' international contingent would be better served by regular sessions with England's specialist coaches at their club rather than endlessly gathering as a national squad.

"They spend so much time away from their families, which they find difficult, and a lot of times there are meetings for the sake of meetings," said Wheeler. "Our coaches at Leicester have played international rugby in both hemispheres and they've got a good idea about what's needed to prepare for a Test match."

LEICESTER: Leicester will be without first-choice props Graham Rowntree and Julian White for their European Cup meeting with Clermont Auvergne on Saturday.

Rowntree is out for up to six months with a neck injury and White is banned for eight weeks.

White was suspended yesterday by the RFU after being sent off for fighting with Newcastle lock Andy Perry in the 16-16 English Premiership draw at Welford Road on Friday.

The Tigers are also without Louis Deacon because of an ankle injury which could have ended his hopes of an England cap in the autumn Tests.

Loosehead prop Rowntree, who made his 200th league start against Newcastle, suffered a neck injury in the 29th minute of that match and could be out of action for anything from six weeks to six months.

Secondrow Deacon will be out for two to four weeks, having limped off in the 35th minute of the Falcons match.

Gloucester have dropped Henry Paul and Peter Richards from their squad for Saturday's European Challenge Cup match in Bayonne after the pair failed to turn up to a specially ordered workout on Sunday.

SCOTLAND: Jason White, the 27-year-old Sale Sharks forward, was yesterday announced as Scotland's 107th Test match captain.

White was hailed as the best man for the job by Scotland head coach Frank Hadden: "He is now one of the senior pros in the side and his physical approach makes him ideal to lead by example.

"Jason has experience of captaincy with Sale Sharks this season and with Glasgow and Scotland at under-21 and under-19 level in the past and I have admired his contribution ever since we worked together with the Scotland under-16 team in the 1990s."

THOMOND PARK: The Munster Branch has entered an agreement with Toyota Ireland for the naming rights of the West Stand at Thomond Park.

The stand will be known as the Toyota Stand for the remainder of the season.