Rugby's big dispute explained

Among the issues to be resolved is the area of player release for international training.

Martyn Thomas, chairman of the RFU management committee, said: "They are not that far apart on what they both agree is necessary."

But he said "trust has broken down" between the RFU and Premier Rugby.

Premier Rugby, the umbrella group for the game's 12 top clubs, is suing over the governing body's refusal to pass on payments to three clubs who played their Lions players before the end of an 11-week rest period.

The RFU claims the clubs are in breach of the Elite Player Agreement signed in June 2004.

We have fixed a limit of 10 Test matches which each player can play in a year Francis Baron RFU

And they believe the Premiership clubs have "repudiated" the 2001 Long Form Agreement - a blueprint on how the game is run.

But Thomas hopes that a successful outcome to Robinson's talks with the clubs could lead to the other issues being resolved.

"If these meetings can bring about agreement on that, I believe the other things will fall into place," he said.

"Andy will carry on seeing the directors of rugby and if that is agreed I believe those sharp-end issues will go away."

The Premiership clubs have also threatened not release players for an extra game England are planning to mark the opening of the new South Stand at Twickenham next autumn.

But RFU chief executive Francis Baron claimed the extra game will not result in players turning out for any more internationals.

"We have fixed a limit of 10 Test matches which each player can play in a year," he said.

"That limits the number of matches per player but not the number of matches which can be played, although we would never play more than 11 Test matches in one year."