Pontypridd boss Lynn Howells has demanded action following the choas surrounding his side's Parker Pen Shield clash with Parma this week.

The game was postponed for the second time in as many days yesterday because of a frozen pitch at the Stadio del Rugby and has now been rescheduled for tomorrow evening at Gloucester's Kingsholm ground (7.30pm).

Howells was left fuming after heated discussions between the clubs believing a decision to postpone the game should have been taken before his team flew to Italy on Saturday.

"I was annoyed at the way the game went from on then off," he told the South Wales Echo. "It's no way to prepare for a big cup game.

"The field was never playable days before we even got here but there was no independent pre-match inspection. That has be looked at in the future."

In response, Parma officials accused Pontypridd of lying over the condition of a neighbouring pitch at Viadana and of pressurising the referee into cancelling the game.

Pontypridd officials, including Howells and skipper Paul John, travelled the 30km to Viadana yesterday morning in anticipation of the game being postponed only to find a pitch "covered" in patches of ice.

However, negotiations fell into farce when a fourth match official ruled Viadana's Via Learco Guerra ground as playable, thus sparking accusations that Ponty had not been to Viadana but instead had held "secret" talks with referee Leyshon to call off the game.

Parma team manger Stefano Pagliarini commented, "We were happy to play on our home pitch but Pontypridd said they did not want to.

"These are normal conditions for northern Italy in January and we have been playing in worse conditions in recent weeks.

"There is no proof that they (Pontypridd) have been to Viadana and we believe they have pressured the referee before the arranged time for the pitch inspection to cancel the game. We're very frustrated."

European Rugby Cup Ltd - the tournament's governing body - stepped in to resolve the dispute and schedule the game for Gloucester.