Heineken Cup / Ralph Ellis / 19 May 2009 / Leave a comment

Ahead of their European Challenge Cup final, Northampton have refused to let their Scottish prop join up with the Lions this week. If the players can be as intransigent at Twickenham as their management have been with McGeechan and co. then they have a good chance of prevailing, says Ralph Ellis...

Clubs and countries. They're a bit like Katie Price and Peter Andre - even when they're getting on fine the next row isn't going to be too far away.

No surprise this morning, then, to find that David James is having a shoulder operation now to make sure he's fit again for the start of next season with Portsmouth - and meanwhile Fabio Capello hasn't got his first choice goalkeeper for two World Cup qualifiers. In fact, the England manager is struggling to find anybody at all because Ben Foster is also seeing a surgeon, Chris Kirkland and Scott Carson both have injuries, and it looks like the job will end up going to Robert Green - the West Ham keeper who has "England's number six" stitched on to his gloves.

Games against Kazakhastan and Andorra mean that's not likely to do any harm and Capello's side will remain [1.1] to be winners of their qualifying Group Six. But you can be sure James won't be the first to drop out as club managers make sure their own interests are served.

But if football has always had its problems, it's no better in rugby. In fact, it's becoming arguably worse as club owners relatively new to professional sport struggle to understand the concept of paying players to go and earn money for somebody else.

The latest rumblings came yesterday when Northampton Saints refused to release Scottish prop Euan Murray for the British Lions' first get together. And it wasn't even as if they were worried about him getting injured - not unless he'd tripped over the lighting wires before the official photo was taken. Ian McGeechan's party were together only to collect their kit, have their snaps done, and make the sponsors happy. But while Heineken Cup finalists Leicester were happy to let Harry Ellis drive down the M1, and Leinster's quartet of players flew over from Dublin, the Saints played sinners. Murray was told to stay with the squad who are working to get ready for Friday night's European Challenge Cup final against Bourgoin.

Northampton need to win the match to be sure of qualifying for the Heineken Cup next season and their willingness to exploit the letter of the rules to keep Murray at work is a sign of how seriously they are approaching the game. They are currently between [1.38] and [1.55] in the early market to win the game against a side who finished 11th in the French Top 14, and if the players are as intransigent in the scrums at Twickenham as their management were yesterday then try to get around [1.45] matched and it should be a safe way to make some cash for the weekend.

Five things you might not know about Euan Murray

1. Full name Euan Alistair Murray, he was born in Glasgow in August 1980

2. He is a qualified vet

3. He plays the piano after having classical lessons while at school

4. He turned to religion after surviving a horrific head injury in 2005

5. He does impressions - his best ones are Marlon Brando and Louis Armstrong