ENGLAND'S pre Christmas international rugby fixtures will proceed without further interference from the leading clubs, but players in Courage Leagues One and Two will not be released for RFU divisional games against touring sides and domestic opposition.

Yesterday EPRUC (English Professional Rugby Union Clubs) announced their contracted players would be made freely available for forthcoming matches against Italy, New Zealand Barbarians and Argentina and for England squad sessions.

Donald Kerr, chairman of EPRUC, said a breakaway by the leading clubs after this week's breakdown in talks with the RFU was not on the EPRUC agenda. He insisted the clubs' demands for greater control of their own competitions, revenue and broadcasting rights would be pressed vigorously, perhaps with the involvement of an independent arbitrator.

The hands off policy towards England matches by EPRUC, which last month persuaded the players to boycott an England training session, will ease the pressure on the England management, who must pare down an unwieldy squad from 46 to 21 within the next fortnight as they prepare for the Italy game on November 23rd. Jack Rowell, the England coach, may also feel encouraged to designate a new England captain soon.

Tony Hallett, the RFU's secretary, who yesterday attended an EPRUC news media briefing as an observer, hinted that divisional selectors may consider players in Leagues Three and Four as well as reserve team players in the upper leagues for games against Queensland, the New Zealand Barbarians and Argentina. Hallett pointed out that representative call ups to England's senior, A and student sides would "soak up" most leading players, thus creating an opportunity for lesser known talents.

EPRUC's decision not to use the England players as pawns in their eight month dispute with the RFU was to some extent forced on them by the players' representatives, who have shown marked reluctance to become embroiled in English rugby's power politics. Instead, EPRUC will rely on the threat of legal sanction to pursue its goal of independent control of club competitions at home and on the Continent.

However, Peter Wheeler, an EPRUC negotiator, acknowledged that the financial vulnerability of some clubs made it difficult to bargain with the RFU from a position of strength and unity. He suggested Twickenham had put its latest offer directly to the clubs because it was counting on their commercial insecurity to win their acquiescence.

The significant shift in EPRUC's tactics from outright aggression to a softly softly approach indicates a certain lack of heavy artillery in the lower reaches of Leagues One and Two, where most clubs tee cash flow problems.

It seems the clubs are fast running out of fresh options now that the RFU has gone public with its proposed contract which involves the disbursement of £18 million among the clubs over the next 18 months. As Hallett suggested, agreement between the warring factions may be just round the corner.

. Rory Underwood has been axed for the first time in his Leicester career just a month after being dropped by England. The winger has been replaced by teenager Leon Lloyd for tomorrow's European Cup clash against Pati in France after Tigers director of coaching Bob Dwyer claimed his duties as an RAE pilot were hampering his playing career.

Dwyer said: "I'd like to see an England and Lions winger play like an England and Lions winger. He's trying to combine his job and his rugby and it's not helping him at all." Underwood, 33, is England's most capped player with 85 and record try scorer with 49.

Meanwhile, Bath captain Phil de Glanville has pulled out of the clash with Dax at the Recreation Ground. The England centre, who took no part in the national squad session, is still being troubled by a knee ligament injury which has sidelined him for three weeks.

Henry Paul, fit again following shoulder problems, returns to partner Jeremy Guscott in midfield for a match Bath must win to avoid being eliminated from the competition.

. Former Australian captain Nick Farr Jones and ex England forward Wade Dooley will take to the paddock one more time next Wednesday to play for Stanley's XV in their annual match against Oxford University.

Scrum half Farr Jones skippered the Wallabies to World Cup glory in 1991.