Rugby Football Union chief executive Francis Baron says Premiership clubs are damaging England's Six Nations bid by not giving players enough time off. The RFU and the clubs are in dispute over the rest period for England players that toured with the Lions.
Baron insists a lengthy break for players is vital if the world champions are to succeed at the highest level.
"This will affect the Six Nations because players will be prone to injury at the end of the season," he said.
"That's when the big tournaments are - you want your players peaking, not tired and injured."
Premiership clubs were due to receive �15,000 per player from the RFU for every English player "who have been given the full and agreed 11-week rest and recuperation period" following the tour to New Zealand.
However, the RFU has withheld payments from three clubs that fielded players ahead of a period which it claims was agreed with the clubs.
 |  If some agreements are broken and others are not then it can lead to chaos |
"Rugby is an intense sport, it's physically demanding and players need an 11-week break so they have a period of total rest," said Baron.
"Then they start to build up towards the next season.
"If you do not have that proper preparation period you might feel fine at the beginning of the season but you might start to suffer at the end of the season when the Six Nations, Heineken Cup or summer internationals are played.
"You find the players start to suffer, they are physically and mentally jaded - which is why we agreed in principle they need an 11-week break.
"So for people to say the players don't need a 11-week break - it's plainly wrong."
The row has cast a shadow over the start of the season.
And with the clubs insisting that they will take the matter further, it seems the conflict could drag on for some time yet.
However, Baron insists the RFU had to make a stand.
"It's not good news, we're the first to admit that," he added.
"We don't want rugby to be diverted by this disagreement, but it is our responsibility to make sure the rules and regulations are applied, and that's what we've done.
"If some agreements are broken and others are not then it can lead to chaos.
"Clearly it's a difficult period of time. The 11-week break has been agreed back in 2001 in the Long Form Agreement.
"We paid everything due to the clubs who have not broken the agreement, substantial amounts. Clubs cannot pick and choose which agreements you honour and which to break."
The clubs however, are in no mood to budge and Leicester chairman Peter Tom says they are determined to get their money.
"Leicester is a public company with lots of shareholders," said Tom.
"We wouldn't be doing our duty if the money wasn't recovered. At the end of
the day, if we get to court, we get there. All we need is a bit of common sense.
"For them to get Leicester, of all clubs, to the point where, through Premier Rugby, we are considering all ways open to us to recover this money is a very sad state of affairs. I think it's amazing."
MMIX
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