 Wells wants an end to the competing demands on his players |
Leicester coach John Wells insists club versus country conflicts will get worse unless the Zurich Premiership clubs resolve not to play on Test weekends. Wells has had seven players away in the past three weeks on international duty.
"Everybody wants too much of the same meat," Wells told BBC Sport. "The only way round it is to segregate an international period and a club period.
"(England coach) Andy Robinson doesn't want his players kicked, torn and twisted when he gets them, nor do I."
Wells has had to cope with several England players returning to the club with injuries as he prepares for the first of two Heineken Cup battles with Wasps on Sunday.
 |  Sale wouldn't have given a toss a few years ago |
Sale director of rugby Philippe Saint-Andre this week called for clubs who release more than five players for Test matches to be able to postpone games during the international window. But Wells rejects that idea, insisting the clubs who voted to continue playing through the international window should put self-interest to one side.
"My answer would be for the idiots who allowed the agreement to be signed to sort out a new one," he said.
"Leicester have always stuck up for ourselves, and been out-voted since the year dot.
"Sale wouldn't have given a toss a few years ago, but it has affected a number of clubs over the past few years.
"Two years ago it was Northampton and Bath as well, and last year Wasps had a lot of players away. "Until all the clubs can see the big picture, and realise that at some point we are all going to be inconvenienced, it is going to continue.
"We have been rattling the cage for five years now and nothing has changed. If anything it has got worse.
"It used to be just the autumn Tests but now we will be playing through the Six Nations as well."
 Julian White (left) and Martin Corry are both trying to shake off injuries |
Rounds 15, 17 and 18 of the Zurich Premiership will take place on the weekends England play Wales (5 February), Ireland (26 February) and Italy (12 March). The Tigers anticipate being without up to 15 players on senior, 'A' international and Under-21 duty on those dates.
Such is the strength of their development system, though, that even without half their side last month, Leicester beat Worcester and Saracens and drew at Wasps.
"Some of the players that have come in have done such a good job that they've gone from fifth in line to first or second in line," Wells enthused.
One of those is teenage wing Tom Varndell, scorer of five tries in four Premiership matches, who was not even registered for the Heineken Cup. "That just goes to show where he was in the pecking order some eight weeks ago," Wells noted.
"Tom's a tremendous prospect but it won't do him any harm to have two weeks in the gym."
This weekend, though, Wells will rely on the tried and trusted, even if some of them will be less than 100%.
"Hopefully I will have all the guys I need," he added. "One or two of them are going to be short of fitness, but it is a big game and if they are up for it, they will get through it."
MMIX
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