Gloucester owner Tom Walkinshaw has launched a stern defence of his club's decision to withdraw Henry Paul from the England Sevens squad for this weekend's tournament in Beijing.

The former rugby league ace was one of three players pulled out of the Sevens squad to play in crucial Zurich Premiership clashes for their clubs this weekend, while three more miss the trip to China because of injury.

Bath recalled Iain Balshaw for their trip to Saracens with Mike Catt, Matt Perry and Kevin Maggs all out injured.

While Harlequins requested Ben Gollings be removed following injuries to full-back Dave Sleman and Pat Sanderson in Saturday's Powergen Cup semi-final defeat to London Irish.

Sanderson, his brother Alex at Sale and Leicester's Harry Ellis have, meanwhile, all been forced out of the Sevens squad on medical grounds

The England management view the International Rugby Board World Sevens Series as integral to their Commonwealth Games preparations.

And Rugby Football Union performance director Chris Spice yesterday warned he will seek sanctions against those clubs who had not been supportive of the "Sevens philosophy".

Spice was angered both by the withdrawals and an apparent lack of co-operation from certain clubs' over providing replacements - though he declined to name names.

Gloucester, who sent James Simpson-Daniel to Beijing in place of Paul, were the only club to furnish a replacement.

And Walkinshaw today insisted the Gloucester - who face Leicester in a top-versus-second clash at Welford Road on Saturday - had acted within their rights.

"We withdrew him (Paul) because the management at Gloucester found out he had been included over the radio," Walkinshaw told Radio Five Live.

"The RFU entered into this competition against the wishes of the clubs.

"This should not be an issue. It's an issue of someone talking out of turn. Chris Spice is in a new job and is struggling to come to terms with it.

"I don't think there will be any fines coming our way because we have complied completely," added the England Rugby Ltd board member.

Paul and Gollings are both free to join up with the squad in Hong Kong the following weekend, with the RFU still hopeful of securing Balshaw's services on what is an official Test-release weekend.