Rowell faces an anxious afternoon

STEVE BALE

The Pilkington Cup quarter- finals this afternoon would normally give us one of the defining days in the English domestic season. Yet, coming as they do one short week before Scotland's attempt at the Grand Slam and England's attempt to stop them, they can also be seen as a downright inconvenience.

Jack Rowell will certainly think so if any of his England players suffer for their club commitment though, with the continuing wrangling over contracts and the almost inevitable incompatibility that will ultimately arise between country and club, things are likely to worsen rather than improve.

It has been the England manager's desire to free up his players during the weekends preceding international matches, and generally this is now the case. But not today.

Just to add to Rowell's frustration, the clan of Anglo-Scots playing have, with the exception of Bath's Dave Hilton, been excused. Thus Gloucester will go in against Wasps at Kingsholm without Ian Smith, who, as open- side flanker has been a critical force in the Scottish campaign just as he always is for Gloucester - or was until last Saturday when he was otherwise engaged at Cardiff Arms Park while his club-mates were producing their best performance of the season in beating Orrell.

This may have usefully proved Smith is not indispensable but against this calibre of opposition - including England's own fledgling open side, Lawrence Dallaglio - the First Division strugglers will sorely miss the continuity Smith gives them as well as Scotland.

Wasps' progression depends on their recovery from the battering Bath inflicted last week, and if results went with league position West Hartlepool would win at London Irish, Bath would win at Bristol and Leicester (second in the First Division) at home to Harlequins (third). The Irish have been deprived of David Humphreys, the Ireland stand-off.

Bath's return to form came after a period of inactivity when resolution of the issue of how to pay for professionalism has attracted more internal discussion than the rugby itself (and remains unresolved). As for the quarter-final, events have this week conspired in their favour and it would require a piece of stark illogicality for Bristol to pull through.

Which was precisely what Wakefield were within a minute of managing in the fifth round before Jonathan Callard created the try that saved the cup holders. Callard has since been dropped, a discordant decision which has caused some internal anguish and may prompt the trusty full-back to consider his future. Today, Mike Catt will be in his England place at full-back.

If Bristol had such problems, they would consider themselves fortunate, though the eventual arrival of the Ireland flanker, David Corkery, will be a help. Having started by saying he wanted to play even with his England debut only a week away, Garath Archer had already had second thoughts by the time a knee injury prompted his withdrawal anyway, along with that of another of Rowell's likely lads, Martin Corry. With Simon Shaw already a long-term absentee, Bristol's line-out - the one area where they would have justifiably anticipated a clear superiority - has thus been decisively debilitated.

It is also cup day in Wales, where the Swalec Cup has reached the last 16 and Cardiff play at Swansea in the tie of the sixth round, and in Scotland, whose inaugural Tennents Cup - which will have its final at Murrayfield on 11 May - is at the third-round stage.