Unloved and reasonsWales
IT’S one of the certainties of Welsh rugby that there will be problems associated with the fourth autumn international and this year is no different.
The same old issues have reared their ugly head once again ahead of Saturday’s campaign finale against South Africa at the Principality Stadium.
Pretty much every year, the same kind of stories about the fourth out-of-window Test – a fixture which has become unloved and unwanted by many – crop up. Yet nothing changes. Wales have played four autumn internationals every year since 2002, apart from when there’s a World Cup on.
And in both 2007 and 2011, they hosted additional out-of-window games after the global tournament was over.
So, this is something that’s been going on for the best part of 15 years, with all the accompanying headaches.
What then are the main issues? PLAYER AVAILABILITY Under World Rugby rules, three weekends in November are designated for international matches.
That’s the official Test window and clubs have to release players to national teams for games played in that period.
It’s all laid out in Regulation 9 (Player Availability) in the World Rugby handbook.
But countries are allowed to schedule matches outside of that window and that’s something which Wales have repeatedly done for more than a decade.
Generally, the match has been tagged on after the window at the end of November or early December, with one of the big three – Australia, South Africa or New Zealand – the opposition.
The problem is always the availability of personnel for that game.
There is no issue with home-based players as the WRU have an agreement in place with the four regions which gives Wales access to them.
But it’s a different story with players who ply their trade outside of the country.
It’s become a particular issue when it comes to those who earn a living with English clubs.
The policy of Premiership Rugby (PRL) is the Aviva clubs should not release players to other countries for out-of-window games.
England stage an additional fourth Test every other year and the RFU pays the clubs a fee for having the players available for that game.
It would be hard for PRL to justify that payment while releasing players to other countries for free, so they introduced a blanket ban policy.
Now, of course, the WRU could offer to pay for access to their Anglo exiles, but that hasn’t been the case.
So every year, we are faced with the same “will they, won’t they” stories over player availability.
Where things have got complicated is that some players have had full international release written into their club contracts.
This was the case with George North, with Northampton agreeing to a clause which meant they had to free him to play in all Wales games.
When that came to fruition in 2013, with North lining up against Australia in that year’s out-ofwindow match, the Saints were fined £60,000 for breaching PRL policy.
That was supposed to be the end of any such occurrences, with a firm message being sent out to the clubs and no such clauses to exist.
But now we appear to be back in the same boat again.
Taulupe Faletau has stayed with Wales this week in order to appear against South Africa and his club, Bath, are facing the prospect of a fine as a result.
The presumption is the former No.8 has full release in his contract.
Yet when it comes to the other exiles - Owen Williams, Rhys Priestland, Tomas Francis and Jamie Roberts - they have all returned to their clubs.
The word is Harlequins centre Roberts faced possible disciplinary action if he stayed with Wales.
Just to add to the mix, Owen Williams won’t be playing for anyone this weekend, as Gloucester have given him the week off.
And Scott Andrews has stayed with Wales, even though he’s been propping for Bath these past couple of months.
His was a unique case, as he is on loan at The Rec, but still employed by Cardiff Blues. Eventually, his availability was confirmed after a spot of dialogue and debate this past week .... and just as well given issues on the tight-head.
Confused? Who wouldn’t be! You only need to take a walk around Wales’ training base at the Vale Resort to see the impact of the autumn campaign.
It’s a scene of battered, patchedup bodies and a squad down to the bare bones.
International rugby takes a huge toll. It’s brutal and it’s physically gruelling.
Having three Tests back-to-back is demanding enough, but to have four – including all three southern