Gareth Cooper has won 38 Wales caps since his debut against Italy in 2001

Gloucester could face an International Rugby Board sanction after defying an IRB rule not to pick Wales scrum-half Gareth Cooper against Saracens.

The IRB had ruled that Cooper should not be released by Wales after he was named among Gloucester's replacements.

Cooper is part of Wales' autumn Tests squad and rules state the player should be with his country as the games are inside an official IRB November window.

But Gloucester ignored the request and named Cooper in their matchday 22.

Cooper, however, did not feature for Gloucester as the teenage scrum-half Dave Lewis helped the West Country side beat Saracens 25-21 at Vicarage Road.

The Welsh Rugby Union are now deciding whether to complain to the IRB.

Gloucester head coach Dean Ryan said the decision was made "in conjunction" with Premier Rugby Limited, the umbrella body that runs the English Premiership clubs.

606: DEBATE Were Gloucester right not to play Gareth Cooper after all?

"It is an issue for Premier Rugby, the Welsh Rugby Union and the Rugby Football Union to resolve," he told BBC Radio Gloucester.

"The decision was taken in conjunction with Premier Rugby that Gareth would be part of our 22 - and he was.

"Everyone was aware of the facts prior to the game and a decision was taken that Cooper was maintained in the 22."

The Cooper saga is the latest in Welsh rugby's long-running player release row.

Cooper, currently Wales' first-choice scrum-half because of Mike Phillips' injury absence, was not in Wales' squad for their 34-13 win over Canada on Friday.

The 29-year-old, who started against world champions South Africa in last weekend's opening autumn international, is due to report back to Wales HQ on Monday for their next Test against New Zealand on 22 November.

So Ryan included him on the bench for the game with Saracens.

Before the game, a WRU statement said: "The WRU can confirm that it has received confirmation from the International Rugby Board that the IRB Regulation Committee has ruled that Wales scrum half Gareth Cooper should remain with the WRU this weekend.

"And the WRU need not release him back to his club Gloucester for Sunday's club match against Saracens.

"The IRB confirmed that both the Rugby Football Union and Gloucester have been informed of this ruling."

After the game, a WRU spokesperson said: "We are seeking to establish all the facts and once that is done we will consider all the material issues and act accordingly."

Both Wales' English-based scrum-halves Peel and Cooper will be forced to miss their final autumn Test with Australia on 29 November as it is outside the official IRB international window.

It is another twist in the bitter club v country rows that have dogged Welsh rugby over the last month.

The WRU took the extreme step of taking its own regions to the high court to ensure the early release of Welsh players to prepare for last weekend's opening autumn Test against South Africa.

But Premier Rugby Limited, the umbrella body that runs the English Premiership clubs, refused to let Sale pair Peel and Eifion Roberts and Gloucester's Cooper meet up with Wales early.

The PRL stuck to the IRB rules by the book but that could have a detrimental affect on the Welsh international careers of Peel, Cooper and co.

As Wales coach Warren Gatland has warned his English-based stars: "If they're not available for training or matches, it is severely going to affect their ability to be selected by Wales."

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