Saracens owner Nigel Wray has said the "Southern Hemisphere must be laughing their heads off" at the timing of the Six Nations.

The latest edition of Europe's premier tournament starts next month and once again it will conflict with ongoing domestic leagues.

Under International Rugby Board regulations, clubs must release players for Test duty and Premiership champions Saracens are set to lose several stars right in the middle of the league season when acting England coach Stuart Lancaster names his Six Nations squad on Wednesday.

But with tournament chiefs unwilling to move the competition from its longstanding February-March slot, it's an issue that seems set to linger for some time yet, particularly in countries such as England where players are contracted to teams rather than the national union.

"As I have said before, the southern hemisphere must be laughing their heads off," Wray, who has sunk millions of pounds of his own money into Saracens, insisted.

"They wouldn't dream of playing the Tri-Nations during their Super 15, wouldn't dream of coming here to play internationals during their domestic season," he added after Saracens' 26-19 league win over Bath.

"And they wouldn't dream of receiving our international sides in mid-year if it in any way clashed with, once again, their own domestic season.

"We, of course, do the opposite."

Meanwhile Saracens coach Mark McCall championed the return to Test duty of ex-England captain Steve Borthwick, who eventually fell out of favour under former national boss Martin Johnson even though Lancaster has said he wants to put the accent on youth in his squad.

"Steve has never given up on England and making a comeback," McCall said of the lock. "He is playing so well, yet is someone rarely mentioned in terms of the squad."

Problems at the scrum, one of modern Rugby Union's biggest headaches, were a feature of both Sunday's Premiership matches.

Saracens and Bath were left bemused when French referee Pascal Gauzere sent Sarries prop Rhys Gill to the sin-bin after a 15th minute scrum on the hosts' line yet did not award a penalty try.

"You saw how good the game is when the scrums work, when things go well," said Saracens coach Mark McCall.

"You also saw how frustrating it can become when they don't. It will take a greater man than me to sort it out."

Bath coach Martin Haag added: "We should have been 14-0 up shortly before they made it 7-7 - because we were on their line and the scrum went down.

"It descended into a bit of a farce in the scrums, which is not unusual these days. You need to know that things will be consistent."

Elsewhere, Sale boss hit out at Test referee Wayne Barnes after his side conceded a late scrum penalty for 'wheeling' that enabled London Irish to beat the Sharks 21-19.

"I'm not whinging but if the referee is going to make his interpretations, let it be consistent," said Diamond. "That's what we are after."

But Exiles counterpart Toby Booth, delighted his side had bounced back from last week's 30-3 hammering by Bath, said leading English official Barnes had made a "stonewall" correct decision.