The Australia and Northampton back-row forward Michael Connors is pressing ahead with his legal action against Bath, visitors to Franklin's Gardens on Saturday, after being peremptorily released from his contract with the West Country club in the summer.
The 31-year old Connors, a World Cup winner with the Wallabies in 1999, signed a two-year contract, worth a reported £300,000, with Bath last June but the club terminated it six weeks later because of salary-cap problems.
Even though Connors went on to join the Saints he instructed a London solicitor to prepare a compensation case against Bath and the player is not minded to drop the action.
"I am still looking at going down the legal road," said Connors. "I have put the issue on the back-burner since arriving at Northampton because I wanted to concentrate on getting fit and forcing my way into the side.
"I have made two appearances and hope to play against Bath on Saturday. It will just be another match for me and my contract dispute with them will not have a bearing on anything.
"That matter is in the hands of my legal advisers. I will be talking to them soon and we will take things from there. The issue has to be addressed and it will be."
Connors' solicitor has had written communication with Bath and said he was dissatisfied with the club's response to his original letter of complaint.
A complaint has been made by the referee Gareth Simmonds against Caerphilly's coach Mark Ring, who could become the first person charged with bringing the game into disrepute under a new rule brought in by the Welsh Rugby Union.
Twickenham has been severe on club officials who publicly criticise referees and Simmonds hopes the WRU will call Ring to account after the coach blamed his side's 45-25 Celtic League defeat at Ebbw Vale on Saturday on the official.
"I could not understand his decisions," said Ring. "We had a man advantage, yet kept getting penalised in the scrums. I go drinking with Gareth and could almost call him a friend but he cost us and I am not afraid to say so even if it could get me into trouble."
Japie Mulder, the former South Africa centre, has left Leeds by mutual agreement after suffering a neck injury in pre-season.
The 1995 World Cup winner, who scored three tries in 10 appearances for Leeds, has not played this season and flew home yesterday for treatment.
Mulder, 32, joined the Tykes in February last year from Johannesburg Cats and initially signed a deal allowing him to play for the sister club Leeds Rhinos as well.
But the injury prevented him from playing rugby league and his Tykes contract, which had been due to run until next May, has been terminated.
· Keith Wood will return to captain Ireland in their World Cup qualifier against Russia in Krasnoyarsk on Saturday. The Harlequins hooker withdrew from the squad for the Romania match earlier this month after the death of his brother Gordon.
Ireland: Dempsey (Leinster); Kelly (Munster), O'Driscoll (Leinster), Maggs (Bath), Hickie (Leinster); O'Gara , Stringer (both Munster); Corrigan (Leinster), Wood (Harlequins, capt), Hayes (Munster); Longwell (Ulster), O'Kelly (Leinster); S Easterby (Llanelli), Gleeson (Leinster), Foley (Munster). Replacements: Byrne , Wallace , Cullen (all Leinster), Quinlan (Munster), G Easterby (Llanelli), Humphreys (Ulster), Henderson (Munster).
