Sale last night refused to comment on criticism from Wales that the reason the scrum-half Dwayne Peel was yesterday dropped from their Six Nations squad was that he had not been playing enough for the Edgeley Park club since moving there from the Scarlets last summer. The club fear it will prompt the 27-year-old, a 2005 Lion, to demand a return home.

Peel, who figured in the 2005 and 2008 grand slams for Wales, was overlooked in favour of Gareth Cooper and Mike Phillips, the latter returning to action four weeks ago after an eight-month lay-off following knee surgery. The national head coach, Warren Gatland, opted for a tight-knit squad of 28 for the Six Nations, which meant no place for a third scrum-half or hooker, and Peel will this week hold talks with the Sale director of rugby, Philippe Saint-André.

"It was a very difficult decision at scrum-half," said the Wales attack coach, Rob Howley, who played in the position for his country and the Lions. "I spoke to Dwayne on Sunday night. He was disappointed and frustrated. He has only played a limited amount of rugby for Sale and he has not been showing the exuberance and flow that we associate with him. He was not picked for last week's key Heineken Cup game in Munster and that was disappointing."

The 64-cap Peel has made nine starts for Sale this season, the same number as Cooper at Gloucester. Peel has been rotated with the England scrum-half, Richard Wigglesworth, and Saint-André said there was little difference between the two players, adding that he had no regrets about not starting Peel at Munster, even though the Welshman made an immediate impact when he came on as a replacement early in the second half.

If there is a feeling at Sale that they have been made scapegoats for a decision that would probably have been made wherever Peel, who fell behind Phillips in the pecking order last year when he was at the Scarlets, played they are keeping their silence. "I have no comment to make on the reasons Wales have given for Dwayne's omission," said the club's coach, Kingsley Jones, a former Wales captain. "All I will say is that Dwayne will definitely be starting for us against Clermont Auvergne this weekend."

Message boards in Wales were stuffed full of support for Peel, who wants to know from Saint-André where he stands. If he has made the same number of starts for his club as Cooper, Phillips has made only four full appearances for the Ospreys since returning from injury.

"Gareth has missed a bit of rugby in recent weeks because of injury, but he is the man in possession of the jersey and he was outstanding for us last November," said Howley. "Mike played a big part in our grand slam success and he showed for the Ospreys at Perpignan last weekend that he is getting back to his best.

"This is not the end for Dwayne, nor is our decision based on where he is playing. The door is open for him and is still in the frame for the Lions. I know what it is like to be dropped by Wales. You have to look hard at yourself in the mirror and bounce back, which I know he will. He is a player of experience and quality and the easy option for us would have been to name three scrum-halves.

"That would have meant one being on the sidelines at training and knowing he was not going to be in the match squad, as would have been the case had we chosen three hookers. We have gone for a tight squad so that everyone will feel they have a chance of starting the first game against Scotland."

No one is assured of his place, not even Ryan Jones, who retains the captaincy, and the squad's settled nature is shown in the inclusion of only one uncapped player, the Cardiff Blues second row, Bradley Davies, while the return of Gavin Henson went unremarked thanks to Peel's omission.