Premier Rugby today told Bath to pull Butch James out of the South Africa side to face Wales in Cardiff on Saturday because the game falls outside the official international Test window.

Clubs are only obliged to release players for official international matches and Gloucester this week refused to release their four Scottish internationals – Rory and Scott Lawson, Alasdair Strokosch, Alasdair Dickinson – for tonight's uncapped Test against Japan in Dublin.

James, who has not played for South Africa for more than two years and is looking to put himself in contention for next year's World Cup, has been chosen in the centre against Wales.

But Bath were today telephoning the Springboks to tell them the 31-year-old fly-half had to return to the club immediately.