Toulon have refused to allow fly-half Jonny Wilkinson to attend England's forthcoming five-day training camp, but any potential club-v-country row has been defused by England manager Martin Johnson.

England's EPS squad is due to meet up on August 8th, but with the new Top 14 season starting just five days later Toulon have decided to keep their influential fly-half in France.

Wilkinson, who lost his England starting place to Toby Flood last season, is currently resting a shoulder injury sustained during last weekend's friendly win against Racing-Métro 92 and will sit out tonight's home game against Stade Francais - paving the way for Argentine Felipe Contepomi to play his first friendly of the campaign.

Top 14 Fixtures 2010/11

Two other French-based internationals - Stade Francais' Tom Palmer and James Haskell  will also miss part of the EPS training after being given permission to return early back to Paris. This compromise is a step forward from last season when Haskell's non-release by England during a blank Six Nations weekend sparked a furious row with Stade owner Max Guazzini. That public spat ultimately culminated in Haskell being dropped by Stade for their Heineken Cup quarter-final against Stade Toulousain.

But it appears that Johnson and England have now softened their stance as they seek to start the 2010/11 season on good terms with French clubs in the build up to the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

Johnson said there had been "close and amicable consultation" with clubs over player release, adding that he appreciated the situation was difficult with those playing in Top 14 as the season started so much earlier (August 13) than in England.

Toulon's press officer Benjamin Larrue told The Daily Telegraph that relations remain strong between the French club and England's management team.

"It is not a confrontation," he insisted. "Toulon and England have worked very well together concerning Jonny and we have been talking again this week because we always support his desire to play international rugby for England.

"But we also believe it is clear from the contract he signed with Toulon that his first allegiance on August 13 is to Toulon. Our club rugby season has started and takes precedence. In addition now he has a blow on his shoulder and he will need daily treatment and assessment to play against Bayonne," added Larrue. 

Top 14 Transfers 2010/11

Sam Gerber, Top 14's top try-scorer for 2009/10, was on the scoresheet as Bayonne beat English side Saracens in their latest pre-season friendly on Wednesday night.

Winger Gerber scored one of the Basque club's four tries as they converted a 14-7 half-time lead into a 27-17 victory, with the other tries coming from centre Thibault Lacroix and South African back row Dwayne Haare (2). England international David Strettle scored two of Saracens' three tries in reply at the Stade Jean Dauger.

Perpignan's troubled build up to the new season shows no sign of abating after Adrien Plante became their latest player to join a lengthening crock list. Plante broke a toe in training on Tuesday and is now expected to be absent for three weeks, meaning he will miss the opening tow rounds of the new Top 14 season.

His absence adds to those of fly-half Nicolas Laharrague (out for three months) and Olivier Olibeau (two months) as last season's beaten finalists continue their preparations for 2010/11. The Catalans have already been forced to register previously retired fly-half Manny Edmonds on a short-term three-month playing contract after the Australian initially joined as part of the club's coach set-up from Bayonne in the summer.

Another player on the crock list is Brive fly-half/centre Regis Lespinas. The former Montauban player only returned to Brive in the summer but he is still struggling to regain fitness after a nine-month lay-off following surgery on his right knee.

Lespinas will undergo an arthroscopy on Thursday to see how his knee is healing, with Brive coach Ugo Mola insisting the club will not take any risks with the player until he is fully recuperated.

There was better news, however, of Scottish international Jason White after he was named in Clermont Auvergne's squad to play Sale Sharks on Friday evening. White missed most of last season after fracturing his tibia on January 1st, but the international flanker is now set for his playing comeback after eight months out.

Racing-Métro's Sebastien Chabal is also on the comeback trail after having taken the summer off to rest his back. The international lock/No 8 struggled for fitness at the tail end of last season and then opted out of France's summer tour, but now he is cautiously optimistic over his fitness for 2010/11.

Chabal, communicating via his website, said he was now largely pain free, but admitted that only a match situation would confirm if he was fully recovered. "The first few matches will reveal if it's completely fixed or if we have to think of something else," said the 32-year-old. 

Stade Francais have confirmed that Argentine lock Santiago Guzman will not be joining them after all. The Paris club announced the 23-year-old would be signing for them from Tucuman earlier in the summer, but it seems that new head coach Michael Cheika has now had a change of heart.

Pre-Season friendlies:

July 23
Bayonne 43 Bourgoin 24

July 24
Aurillac 7 Brive 33
Toulon 30 Lyon OU 18
SU Agen 26 RC Narbonne 5

July 25
La Rochelle 17 Grenoble 17

July 29
Lyon OU 13 Stade Francais 12 (Tignes, 18.30)

July 30
La Rochelle 10 Stade Toulousain 29 (Mazamet, 19.30)
SU Agen 17 Brive 12 (Sainte-Foy la Grande, 18.30)
Bourgoin 20 Clermont Auvergne 40 (Nyon, 19.00)
Toulon 39 Racing-Métro 10 (Stade Félix Mayol, 20.40)
Pau 28 Castres 33 (Hagetmau, 18.30)
Montpellier 56 Carcassonne 17 (Pézenas, 18.30)
Perpignan 32 RC Narbonne 21 (Aimé Giral, 19.45)
Aix-en-Provence v Nice (Aix, 20.00)

August 1
SCA Albi v Béziers (Millau, 18.00)
Rovigo v Colomiers (Millau, 20.00)

August 2
Mont-de-Marsan v Bordeaux (Soustons, 19.00)

August 3
Bourgoin v Sale Sharks

August 4
Bayonne 27 Saracens 17
Montpellier v Aurillac (Lacaune, 18.30)

August 5
Toulon v Stade Francais (Stade Félix Mayol, 20.40)
Stade Toulousain v Bourgoin (Saint-Affrique, 20.00)
SCA Albi v Rovigo (Saint Affrique, 20.00)

August 6
Biarritz Olympic v La Rochelle (Aguiléra, 19.00)
Brive v Leicester Tigers (Stade Amédée Domenech, 20.00)
Grenoble v Bourgoin (Grenoble, 19.00)
Perpignan v Racing-Métro 92 (Aimé Giral, 19.45)
Lyon OU v Oyonnax (Issoire, 18.30)
Clermont Auvergne v Sale Sharks (Issoire, 20,00)
SU Agen v Leeds (Agen, 19.00)

August 7
Castres v Colomiers (Lavaur, 18.30)
Montpellier v Sale Sharks (Camares, 18.30)
FC Auch Gers v Pau (Mourenx, 17.00)
Aurillac v Provale Select XV (Kamares, 16.30)

August 11
Béziers v Carcassonne (Béziers, 18.00)

August 13
Pau v RC Narbonne (Castets, 18.00)
Oyonnax v Macon (Nantau, 18.00)
Lyon OU v Saint Etienne (Lyon, 18.00)
Aurillac v SCA Albi (Aurillac, 19.30)

August 20
Carcassonne v Mont-de-Marsan (Carcassonne, 18.30)
Grenoble v Oyonnax (Grenoble, 19.00)