WALES HAVE wasted no time in recalling four of their former internationals who returned from Rugby League during the Summer. Scott Gibbs, David Young, Stuart Evans and Richard Webster were yesterday named in a 35 man squad to prepare for the four Tests before Christmas but there was no place for Scott Quinnell who is locked in a pay dispute with the Welsh Rugby Union.

Quinnell, who joined Richmond from Wigan in a £200,000 move last May, is unavailable for Wales's internationals against France in Cardiff on September, 25th and against Italy in Rome on October 5th after demanding three times the appearance fee of £2,000 offered by the WRU to players who are based in England.

Terry Cobner, the WRU's head of coaching, has been negotiating with the 24 year old number eight but has refused to speak to Quinnell's agent, Mike Burton.

"We have to be very careful we do not establish a precedent which would have deep ramifications for the WRU," said Cobner. "There is not a great deal of difference between Scott and the union, despite what some have said. He has had a had press and he is anxious to play for Wales again. We hope he will be in the side when we face Australia in December.

Burton said Quinnell was standing firm on the point of principle. "Scott is not being led along by some unscrupulous agent, as has been suggested. Nobody starts a job and negotiates his pay afterwards. He will not he available for Wales's next two matches since we have not sorted out what he will be paid. He wants to play for Wales but he also wants the right deal."

Room has been left for Quinnell in the squad because only one number eight, Steve Williams, has been included. Webster, Evans, Young and Gibbs have been recalled even though they have played less than half a dozen games between them this season because the Wales coach Kevin Bowring wants them to pass on their working knowledge of professionalism to the rest of the squad.

"It is early to bring them back in to the fold, but they have been professional players for a long time and know exactly what that involves," said Bowring. "They also have a lot to offer as players and their presence makes us a stronger force as we look to embrace the new game."

Three uncapped players are included in the 35 - the Pontypridd centre Jason Lewis, the Neath hooker Barry Williams and the Neath flanker Ian Boobyer. Bowring plans to use the matches against France and Italy to look at new combinations before the sterner tests of December against Australia and South Africa.

"The early games give us the opportunity to try something different," he said. "We have been looking for clubs to embrace the new style of rugby based on pace and continuity which we believe is necessary if Wales is to become a force again and a number have already responded superbly."

Bowring will next week name his side for France but the problem for the coach is that the club which provides the greatest number of players to the squad, Card diff, have yet to win a game this season and are in a state of disarray.

. A top South African rugby union official hit back at All Black coach John Hart yesterday over allegations the New Zealanders were poorly treated during their recent tour of South Africa.

Rian Oberholzer, chief executive of the South African Rugby Football Union (SARFU), said he was "surprised and disappointed" by Hart's claim, made in a radio interview in New Zealand, that SARFU treated the All Blacks with disdain.

"SARFU went out of it's way to fulfil every tiny desire of the officials and the team, going far beyond the service usually provided to a visiting side," Oberholzer said in a statement.

"We hired special charter flights and an extra truck for their excess luggage, including a scrum machine they brought with theme all the way from New Zealand.