The Australian Rugby Union are lining up an extra match in England this Autumn, in case a planned fixture with Canada cannot be played. The ARU are becoming increasingly impatient with their Canadian counterparts, who have failed to resolve a dispute with leading players.
The top 60 Canadian rugby players have been on strike for the past month, following the controversial sacking of coach Dave Clark. Ian Birtwell, who managed the Canadians at the 1991 World Cup has replaced him and is in charge for the clash with the Wallabies on October 27th.
Birtwell has written to the players pleading for their support but no response has been received so far. Meanwhile the Aussies are not waiting around for a resolution and have contacted the English RFU to arrange an extra clash with them.
John O'Neill, ARU Managing Director, said: "We are giving them until the end of the week to give us an iron-clad guarantee that it will be their best team, otherwise we will probably have to cancel that leg of the tour."
Whether the English RFU could accommodate the Wallabies is in doubt however, as their club sides are involved in important Heineken Cup games at that time.
Filed by John Raftery
