SCOTTISH RUGBY have made a formal complaint to the International Rugby Board after the national team's English-based players were refused permission to attend yesterday's training session at Murrayfield.

Premier Rugby, the umbrella organisation representing English Premiership clubs, instructed each of their teams not to release players for what was Scotland's first get-together of the season.

The snub has sparked a conflict head coach Frank Hadden had hoped to avoid after recently embarking on a bridge-building tour of foreign clubs with Scotland players in their squads. Hadden appeared to be bracing himself for the absence of some of his exiled stars by a naming a 50-man squad last week the training session. But he was clearly not prepared for the blanket ban which has transpired.

The 10 Premiership players missing were Alasdair Strokosch, Alasdair Dickinson, Rory Lawson and Scott Lawson (all Gloucester), Sean Lamont and Euan Murray (both Northampton), Rory Lamont and Jason White (both Sale), Gordon Ross (Saracens) and Stephen Jones (Newcastle).

A Scottish Rugby spokesman said: "We provided these clubs with ample notice of this short training camp and usual custom and practice has resulted in our England-based players being made available for training camps. We are obviously concerned that our tried and tested relationship with these English clubs has been upset by the sudden intervention of Premier Rugby and as a result of today's non-appearance of so many players, we have made formal representation to the IRB to resolve this matter."

Scottish Rugby have urged the IRB to resolve the matter before their final preparations begin for the November Tests against New Zealand, South Africa and Canada. The results of these matches will determine Scotland's ranking going into the draw for the 2011 World Cup.

Hadden has been at pains to emphasise the importance of securing more preparation time with his players, and had been hoping to secure their release two weeks before every Test match.