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Scotland lost their bitter row with English clubs over player release and were forced to accept a deal first offered to them in July, it was claimed tonight.

The Scottish Rugby Union announced this afternoon that the International Rugby Board had ruled over the issue of how long head coach Frank Hadden would get to prepare his squad for next month's autumn internationals. The ruling appeared at first to be a partial victory for Hadden, who will be given access to his players 12 days before Scotland's November 8 Test against New Zealand.

Hadden had wanted a full two weeks preparation time, whereas Premier Rugby - the umbrella organisation representing Guinness Premiership clubs - have always insisted they are only required to release players five days before internationals. However, the IRB ruling contained one crucial caveat, which states Premiership clubs reserve the right to recall their players on October 30 for EDF Energy Cup matches on the weekend of November 1-2.

And Premier Rugby tonight claimed this was precisely the deal they had offered the SRU - and which was rejected - this summer.

"It is exactly what we offered them in July," the organisation's rugby director Phil Winstanley told PA Sport. "We offered Scotland the three days: the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday; the 27th, 28th, the 29th - which is what I understand the IRB have reinforced."

Winstanley claimed Premier Rugby - who receive millions of pounds to release England players but nothing from the SRU - were prepared to go "above and beyond" the IRB's ruling. He added: "We did offer the Scots the opportunity to retain their players if they're not required by the clubs that weekend. That's an offer that still stands."

Hostilities between the SRU and Premier Rugby escalated last month when the latter refused to release Scotland's 10 Premiership stars for a training session at Murrayfield. The SRU asked the IRB to intervene and clarify their regulations on the matter but it seems Premier Rugby have gotten their way for now.

Hadden was certainly far from satisfied with the outcome.

"The on-running side-show of Regulation 9 has taken an inordinate amount of everybody's time over the last few months," said the head coach, who is desperate to maximise preparation time for matches which will determine Scotland's ranking for the 2011 World Cup draw.

"The resolution, we're not entirely happy with it. But at least we know where we are - there's no uncertainty. We can plan for the autumn Tests and so on. That enabled us to get on with more important tasks, like selecting the squad for the preparation."

The start of the season saw Hadden embark on a bridge-building tour of British and French clubs in a bid to gain greater access to his players. Although it did not work as far as last month's get-together is concerned, he today claimed English clubs have indicated to him they might be willing to rest their Scottish players on the weekend of November 1.

But he added: "If we select them and whether that happens remains to be seen. We are eternally optimistic that that might be the case. And if that's not going to be the case then that may have an impact on the way in which we select our team."

Hadden repeated that veiled threat no fewer than three times today, something that will worry his English-based stars.

Despite the SRU's conflict with Premier Rugby, Hadden insisted relations were good with individual clubs. "I'm happy that they're as good as they can be given there's a conflict of interests," he said.

Whether those relations improve or deteriorate could depend on the outcome of a meeting of the IRB at the end of next month, in which a new Regulation 9 is expected to be set in stone.

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