Douglas and the exception that breaks the rule

     Earlier this year the ARU introduced a new series of rules on player eligibility for the national side. The former zero tolerance policy, meaning no player contracted to a club side outside of the Australian Super Rugby sides could play for the Wallabies, was changed to a perhaps more fair and relevant policy.
     The so-called 'Giteau Clause' was born, a clear marker of the Michael Cheika era. Bill Pulver, CEO of the ARU, announced that players who had played in Australia for seven seasons or more and had sixty tests caps or more would remain eligible for national selection if they were contracted overseas. Immediately Matt Giteau(92 caps) and Drew Mitchell(63 caps) became available for selection and have unsurprisingly have been included in Cheika's Rugby Championship squad.
     Adam Ashley-Cooper(104 caps) had already announced his intention to move to Bordeaux-Begles after the World Cup, but can now ply his trade in the Top 14 and fly back to wear the Gold of the Wallabies. Will Genia(58 caps) is set to join Stade Francais, Quade Cooper(53 caps) is joining the growing Australian crew at Toulon and James Horwill(58 caps) has signed for Conor O'Shea's Harlequins from next season. Make no mistake, the 60 cap threshold is not a random selection. It is a calculated decision. This season will likely see Genia, Cooper and Horwill all join Ashley-Cooper, Mitchell and Giteau in being available under the ruling.
     This week has seen a crack in the armour of the change in the eligibility rules as Kane Douglas has been called up by the Wallabies. Leinster manager, Guy Easterby confirmed the news on Monday. Douglas has 14 test caps for the Wallabies and has only played four professional seasons under contract in Australia. The 'Giteau clause' does not apply to him. Rumours are circulating that he will have to sign for an Australian Super Rugby franchise in order to make him eligible, with the Queensland Reds rumoured to be interested in Douglas as a replacement for Horwill. However, Leinster are firmly maintaining that Douglas is under contract and will remain a Leinster player for the remaining two years of his contract. The ARU are stuck and the only way they can justify the call-up of Douglas is by ensuring he is signed up to play in Australia next season. Leinster retain they won't sell and even still Douglas would not qualify under the ARU's own rules, but would be allowed in through a bending of the rules.
     It seems only England, New Zealand and France have the systems in place whereby the can select solely those who play in their domestic leagues. The problem Australia now face is whether it is worth it to bend its own already stretched rulings for one player or standby the rules they were forced into introducing.