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Wales' 60-cap rule is again causing confusion on both sides of the Severn

(Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

The presence of ten English-based players in Wayne Pivac’s Wales squad for the Six Nations has caused a lot of confusion on both sides of the Severn due to the 60-cap rule. 

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Currently, any player with under 60-caps for Wales cannot be picked if they are not playing for a Welsh region. This, therefore, excludes both Northampton Saints’ Dan Biggar, Bath’s Taulupe Faletau and Saracens’ Liam Willams, although he is due to return to the Scarlets. 

However, there are seven more players that are still based in the Gallagher Premiership who are in the squad, including the uncapped quartet of Lous Rees-Zammit, Nick Tompkins, Will Rowlands and WillGriff John. 

Because these were obviously uncapped when they signed their contract with their clubs, they are exempt from the ruling. 

This was also the case for Rhys Carre and Jonah Holmes when they signed for Saracens and Leicester Tigers respectively. Similarly, this ruling was not in place when Gloucester’s Owen Williams was first capped for Wales in 2017. 

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While this explains why they are in the squad now, it does throw their futures into doubt. Unless a player has 60 caps at the end of their current contract, which none of those seven will have, they must play for a Welsh region in order to continue to be eligible for Wales. 

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This happened last summer as Cardiff Blues winger Josh Adams moved from Worcester Warriors, having been capped for his country after his last contract at Sixways. 

The concern is that there will be an exodus in the coming years, as players seek to continue representing Wales. 

Gloucester were wise to this over the past week, tying Rees-Zammit down to a long-term contract extension to ensure he remains at Kingsholm for a few more years. 

Tompkins’ Saracens contract also does not expire until 2022, meaning he still has two more seasons with the English and European champions. 

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Exeter Chiefs showed the way around this ruling last season by giving Wales prop Tomas Francis a contract extension rather than a new contract, as the ruling only stipulates that the players cannot sign new contracts outside of Wales. Then again, these contract extensions will have to be something that the players want to sign. 

https://twitter.com/PSGAJ/status/1217449068483530753?s=20

https://twitter.com/morgan_ball96/status/1217428470835314693?s=20

Therefore, while there are ways around such a ruling, there are worries that players at clubs across England will have to leave in the future unless the ruling is scrapped by the end of their contracts. 

Elsewhere, Rhys Webb also finds himself in the squad despite playing for Toulon. This debacle has transpired over the past few weeks and although he was previously excluded from the Wales squad due to being at Toulon, he can now make his return having signed for the Ospreys ahead of next season. 

WATCH: Wayne Pivac announces his squad for Wales’ 2020 Guinness Six Nations campaign 

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C
CO 12 minutes ago
Scott Robertson's disappointing Ruben Love decision

Will Jordan is as good as any fullback in the world and at six foot two is backed up by younger, larger talent at fullback like Sullivan and Spencer. Ruben Love is a slightly larger but less eccentric version of McKenzie at this stage in his development.


McKenzie, he's like a wildly energetic dog that doesn't stop being a pup until the age of six.


McKenzie is no longer the young pup, he's entering his best years as a ten, he's been a test player for nine years and that's really starting to produce under Razor.


NZ sometimes pigeon holes players early and can be blind to the McKenzie late bloomers, McKenzie is a loyal, passionate Allblack and it's only because of a double world player of the year that he's not starting at ten each time for the Allblacks.


For those that get to meet McKenzie he's a relaxed, friendly, courteous and composed person and he is looking likely to peak as a ten at RWC.


However, McKenzie isn't really the guy we need to replace and Love is the nearest thing NZ has as a younger model. Instead NZ needs to be looking for a guy with the size and height of Beauden, Pollard, Farrell, Larkham, Sexton.


Carter was a freak at ten and McKenzies also really special but the games now dominated by first fives that are noticeably over six foot. A smaller guy needs to be freakishly talented.


Love is a handy player that plays well at both fullback and ten, he's got a really good mindset and a superb footballer like McKenzie but I'm a crowded fullback field that still has Jordie Barret around to fill in, Love needs to spend a lot more time at ten, a position that NZ is struggling with for world class depth.


As for Naitoa, he needs a run at six, he's a lock that's really better suited to six.


The French are a handful and the Allblacks can really build a strong year by winning the third test, once the games under control then Love should be swapped with McKenzie to have his chance at ten.

8 Go to comments
C
CO 56 minutes ago
Are other All Blacks better suited to number six than Tupou Vaa'i?

Some Bok supporters might argue in vain but Vaa’i is the model that superseded the previous model known as the Pieter-Steph du Toit.


Hansen's pack got beaten to a pulp in 2019 by the English pack and it would've made zero difference who started at six.


Believing that Scooter starting at six was because they lost that semifinal ignores the reality that Hansen had overstayed his welcome as head coach and having effectively lost the Lions tour and become besotted with SBW should've been fired in 2017 and replaced with any one of Rennie, Schmidt or Joseph.


Both Nonu and Kaino should've been in that 2019 squad. Proven world cup final starters.


Frizzell is never getting the six jersey, he had a shocker of a world cup final and is yesterday's man dining out on one good performance against the Bok B team at Mt Smart. Frizzell is a myth.


The Allblacks current pack needs to bulk up due to it having a lot of small back rowers and no, Finau is not good enough to start, he's not direct enough or punishing enough.


The Allblacks need to stop anointing Sititi as the greatest thing since sliced bread, he's done very little this year, Christian is looking very solid at eight and seven is Saveas best spot to keep Christian starting.


Rassie is using loosies at hooker and so should the Allblacks. Playing Vaa’i at six isn't three locks, it's ensuring size to counter the other tier one packs and Vaa'i is fantastic at six.


Kirifi is okay but again hasn't done much and is too little, Lakai and Kirifi shouldn't be in the squad together.

123 Go to comments
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