Northampton spark row as Euan Murray is blocked from Lions meet-up

Northampton have refused to release Lions prop Euan Murray to join the squad in Bagshot to prepare for the South African tour, igniting a major row before the party has even left home.

The Saints face Bourgoin in the European Challenge Cup Final at Harlequins on Friday, with the winners guaranteed a place in the Heineken Cup next season.

However, every other Lions squad member - even the Leicester and Leinster stars who will be playing in the Heineken Cup Final on Saturday - assembled at the team hotel today.

Tour officials only learned this morning that Murray would not be joining the other 35 players for the official photograph and distribution of the enormous amount of kit each player will be taking on the 10-match trip to South Africa.

Gerald Davies, the Lions tour manager, revealed they had been given no indication of this action by Northampton. He added: "We are very disappointed Euan cannot join us and we will go ahead with the official picture without him. We'll do another one when we get to South Africa.

"We will be talking to the Rugby Football Union about Northampton's refusal to release Euan because we informed each of the four Home Unions in the autumn we'd require all of the tour party today until 6pm when those involved in European matches are being released.

"There is no training and Leicester and Leinster have released their players as requested."

The decision will not impact on Murray's position with the tour, which sets off on Sunday, but the Lions and the RFU will demand answers from Northampton.

Lions chief executive John Feehan said: "Clearly we are going to have to discuss this with the RFU."

Ian McGeechan, the Lions head coach and former Saints director of rugby, said: "I am sure Euan would have wanted to be here but it won't stop what we are going to be doing this week. We knew the Leinster and Leicester guys won't be taking part in our work but it is disappointing that he will not be part of today. We just have to get on with things."

McGeechan's four-year reign as director of rugby was ended by London Wasps last week after the club's struggles this season.

Although he refused to discuss the details of his departure because "there are things still being worked with the club", McGeechan admitted taking charge of his fourth Lions tour as head coach was the perfect antidote. "My focus is solely on the Lions," added McGeechan. "Since the end of the season I have been full-on with the Lions and I am not even thinking about what happened at Wasps."

McGeechan confirmed Friday's Standard Sport story revealing the Lions would not be replacing Tom Shanklin, who is out with a shoulder dislocation, and would rely on players already on the tour rather than bringing in Delon Armitage, of England, or Ireland's Gordon D'Arcy.

The Lions will also wait until the result of Alan Quinlan's appeal on Wednesday against a 12-week ban for gouging before either confirming his place or bringing in Tom Croft, of Leicester, as replacement.

The Lions will be joined on tour by a six-strong security contingent supplied by a UK company which specialises in protecting high-profile clients and has an office in South Africa. "We have many layers of security put in place," said Feehan.