GARETH Delve was called up to the Wales squad yesterday as the speculation gathered pace over his club future.

The Wales management swallowed their pride and put the call in to the Gloucester number eight as cover for skipper Ryan Jones ahead of the trip to face Ireland at Croke Park on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Australian press suggested Delve had agreed terms with the Melbourne Rebels, the new Super Rugby franchise which can already count Danny Cipriani among its number.

But Delve himself was interviewed on the BBC Wales' Scrum V programme on Sunday and suggested a decision was yet to be made.

"I'm weighing things up, it's a huge decision for me," Delve said.

"I'm 27 now and hope the next two years will be the best of my career.

"There are some huge decisions, great headaches and great opportunities.

"Going back over the (Severn) Bridge is certainly one of them that I'm considering strongly and that's what my family are pushing.

"I have to weigh it up with my partner and decide what's best.

"It's always been a lure to go back to Wales to play in front of friends and family.

"There are a couple of other fantastic offers in terms of where they could take me and what benefit I could get from them for the next few years.

"It would obviously be a huge decision to move to the other side of the world, but I grew up watching the Super 14 tournament.

"The chance to measure myself against the best players in the world week-in, week-out would excite me.

"I have to weigh up what's best for me as a person and player over the next few years."

What will come as a concern to Gloucester fans is there is no mention of the club he currently plays for in the options he is weighing up.

The Citizen reported last month that negotiations had stalled between Delve and Gloucester and that he was considering other options, Cardiff and Melbourne among them.

Delve joined Gloucester from Bath in 2007 in the latter stages of his recovery from a second cruciate ligament tear. He did the same injury in the summer of 2008 while playing for Wales in South Africa, only returning in the second half of the following season.

Delve has always coveted international selection, but was reluctant for it to factor high on his priority list when considering his club future.

He felt that given he had played for Wales while at Gloucester before, it could happen again in the future.

But relations between player and country became strained at the end of last season when Delve chose to put in a full pre-season with Gloucester instead of going on the summer tour with Wales.

It appears Wales chief Warren Gatland has finally moved on from that, possibly prompted by a series of injuries and unavailabilities in his back row, Andy Powell's ban after an incident with a golf buggy among them.

Should Delve play for Wales, he is unlikely to be available for Gloucester's LV= Cup semi-final, against, of all teams, Cardiff on Sunday which would create a headache for head coach Bryan Redpath in the back row.

Luke Narraway, the club's other number eight, is injured, while Alasdair Strokosch is away with Scotland and also hurt his ankle in the Wasps defeat on Sunday.

Akapusi Qera has played number eight before, but not more than a handful of times. Peter Buxton is a specialist blindside, while Andy Hazell is an out-and-out openside. Jake Boer, an unused replacement against Wasps, could do the job but hasn't played since before Christmas and lock Adam Eustace has filled in there this season.