Melville hits out

Wasps' director of rugby, Nigel Melville, attacked the referee's decision to call off his side's Premiership game against Gloucester an hour before kick-off yesterday.

The match official Ashley Rowden decided the game should not go ahead as part of the Loftus Road pitch was frozen. But Melville said: "I was at the ground at eight this morning and am convinced this should have been played."

However, Gloucester agreed with the referee and said the pitch, which has undersoil heating, was not fit to play on.

Bristol's game at home to Northampton was another victim of the weather, also called off an hour before kick-off due to a frozen pitch. The Memorial Stadium surface was deemed unsafe for play despite it having been covered in the week.