The much-debated WRU 60-cap rule is once again a hot topic of conversation following the announcement of Wales’ Six Nations squad.
It’s emerged that Wasps flanker Thomas Young was ineligible for selection due to the regulation, even though he was allowed to play in the autumn internationals.
Plus head coach Wayne Pivac has revealed that being based in England counted against Leicester’s Tommy Reffell, which points to a key reason why the 60-cap is in place.
That, in turn, has seen people questioning why some English-based players are treated differently to others, particularly in the light of the appointment of Northampton fly-half Dan Biggar’s as Wales captain.
So, as ever with this contentious piece of legislation, there is much to discuss.
Rugby correspondent Simon Thomas guides you through the twists and turns and explains all.
The Reffell reasoning
Amid all the argument and counter-argument about the 60-cap rule, it was Pivac’s explanation over the omission of Reffell from the Six Nations squad that really cut to the chase.
Pencoed product Reffell has been in outstanding form on the openside flank for Leicester this season.
The former Wales U20s captain has played a key role in the Tigers’ triumphant run which has seen them top the Gallagher Premiership and post a 100 per cent record in the Champions Cup.
He has been a terrier-like presence both over the ball and in defence, consistently earning rave reviews.
So even though there is huge competition for places on the openside, it was understandable Pivac should be asked about his omission from the 36-man Six Nations squad.
His answer was very revealing.
He said Reffell had featured in the selection discussions, but confirmed that being based in England had weighed against the 22-year-old.
And why? Well, he explained it’s because exiles can be available for as little as 25 per cent of the training sessions during a Six Nations period.
He said that can count against a player in a close call and that’s what’s happened on this occasion, with the home-based Jac Morgan, of the Ospreys, getting the nod ahead of Reffell.
It may also have been a factor in Bristol’s gifted utility back Ioan Lloyd failing to make the cut.
So just why do players with English clubs miss so many sessions?
Well, it’s all down to regulations over the release of players for international duties.
Under the agreement the WRU has with the four regions, home-based players are available to Pivac for all sessions and all matches, including out-of-window games.
So he has them for a 13-day training camp ahead of an international campaign and he can retain them throughout the eight-week Six Nations period.
That includes the weeks when there are no Championship games.
But it’s a very different story when it comes to English-based players, with five of those in the squad named this week - Northampton’s Dan Biggar, Gloucester wing Louis Rees-Zammit, Saracens centre Nick Tompkins, Bristol fly-half Callum Sheedy and Exeter forward Christ Tshiunza - while the same goes for Ulster hooker Bradley Roberts.
They are only available for the bare minimum of time stipulated in Reg 9 of the World Rugby rules on player release.
So while all the home-based stars will go into camp with Wales next Monday, the Anglo exiles will stay with their clubs.
They won’t then join up until the week of the Six Nations opener against Ireland at the Aviva Stadium.
With travelling to Dublin to be factored in, that significantly limits the number of pre-tournament training sessions they will be able to take part in.
On top of that, English-based players have to return to their clubs in the two fallow weeks during the Championship.
That always means an anxious wait for the Wales management as they keep their fingers firmly crossed that key men avoid injury while in Premiership action.
In addition, exiles must also be released back to their clubs during Six Nations game week if they are not involved in the 23 for that weekend’s Test match.
So once you add up all those absent days, you can see how players would miss as much as 75 per cent of training sessions.
Clearly that is far from ideal in terms of the all-important preparation for international rugby.
That is why the aim is to have as many squad players as possible based on home soil, so they are available for all Wales duties.
And that’s the primary reason why the 60-cap rule is in place.
It’s designed to retain players within the regional set-up and to encourage others to move here from over the bridge.
On that front, it clearly works.
Looking at the current squad, the likes of Josh Adams, Tomas Francis, Ross Moriarty, Will Rowlands, Alex Cuthbert and Rhys Carre have all moved from England to make themselves eligible for Wales.
Moreover, a number of players have turned down offers from over the bridge and beyond in order to continue their international careers.
And if you look at the remaining exiles, the likes of Rees-Zammit, Sheedy, Roberts and Tshiunza will need to head to Wales when their contracts expire if they want to remain Test performers.
Now whether you agree with that policy or not, it certainly works in terms of having players on home soil.
It avoids the situation where a large chunk of the squad are absent for numerous training sessions which would have a seriously damaging impact in terms of preparation for matches.
So this is the key point about the 60-cap rule.
It is specifically in place to benefit Team Wales and Pivac’s comments point to exactly why that is the case.
How come it’s a different story when it comes to certain exiles?
People may well ask why being based in England counts against Reffell when that doesn’t apply to the likes of Biggar, Rees-Zammit and Tompkins.
Well there are a couple of factors at play here.
For one thing, when a new player comes into the squad - as would have been the case with Reffell - you want him to be available for all sessions to enable him to find his feet and get used to the environment.
Rival openside Morgan will be able to do just that.
But, as Pivac points out, “guys who are coming and going from England, they don’t get the same opportunity” in terms of learning, developing and then possibly some game-time.
Now it’s less of an issue with players who have been in camp before and are already established within the squad.
They know the drills, they know the set-up and they are familiar with the whole regime. They can come on board a bit later and still slot in pretty smoothly.
There is also the issue of borderline calls.
You have that situation on the openside flank where Reffell and Morgan are both uncapped and have both staked strong cases for inclusion.
Clearly you don’t have that with Biggar, Rees-Zammit and Tompkins, who all started the last Test against Australia and were nailed-on squad selections.
You could argue that Callum Sheedy faced strong competition from Cardiff’s gifted No 10 Jarrod Evans.
But you just sense Evans doesn’t seem to fit the bill for Pivac, given he has missed out despite Wales selecting four fly-halves.
As for the 20-year-old Tshiunza, there aren’t too many home-based players who offer what he does in terms of a 6ft 6ins, 17st 6lbs frame and the ability to cover both lock and back row.
Those are attributes Pivac really values as he looks to develop a hybrid back-five forward with an eye on the 2023 World Cup and the inclusion of the Exeter youngster is very much part of that project, with his energetic cameos in the autumn having marked him out as a player of real promise.
Lastly, you’ve got Ulster hooker Roberts. Now he’s very much a newbie, having only been drafted in for the first time midway through the autumn campaign.
But he gets his chance because of issues in his position, with both Ken Owens and Elliot Dee ruled out through injury.
Moreover, his selection will increase the likelihood of him joining a Welsh region at the end of this season to remain eligible under the 60-cap rule, providing another home-based player who will be available for all squad duties.
The captaincy conundrum
People will also ask if having players available for all squad get-togethers is so important to Pivac, why has he chosen a captain who will be missing for a chunk of the campaign in the shape Dan Biggar?
It is a fair query as the Northampton fly-half will miss the first week of pre-tournament training and will have to return to his club in fallow weeks.
But he will be there for all the match weeks, he knows the set-up inside out and has the kind of competitive personality that will enable him to assert control from day one, as the navigator of the Welsh ship.
He’s also the only genuine captaincy candidate who was pretty much guaranteed a starting spot, which is a key factor.
Ellis Jenkins did a fine job in leading Wales to victory over Fiji and Australia, but he faces strong competition for the No 6 position from the abrasive Ross Moriarty, who started the autumn campaign in that role and is set to be back from injury in time for the Championship opener in Dublin.
As for Jonathan Davies, who was skipper against South Africa in November, he didn’t feature versus the Wallabies, so you couldn’t say he is sure of a spot in the centre.
Therefore it’s Biggar - Pivac's go-to man at No 10 - who takes the helm.
But in recognition of the fact that the 32-year-old will be absent for certain weeks during the campaign, Pivac has made a public point of installing Adam Beard as vice-captain.
The Lions second row will take on an enhanced leadership role within the camp, especially when Biggar is away and is being earmarked as a potential future captain.
English-based players having to leave the squad has also had an influence in terms of Wales selecting four fly-halves, as they did in the autumn.
That's because both Biggar and Bristol's Sheedy will have to go back to their clubs in down weeks and potentially in match weeks in the case of Sheedy.
So they need a quartet for training purposes, with Osprey Gareth Anscombe and Cardiff's Rhys Priestland available throughout, while Anscombe also provides additional full-back cover to bolster that department.
Young’s changing status
You could certainly argue that Thomas Young has had it tough when it comes to the 60-cap rule.
He was ruled ineligible for Wales under the WRU law after he signed a contract extension with Wasps in May 2020, even though he hadn’t been offered a deal by any of the regions.
That seemed harsh on him and you did feel he had been pretty hard done by.
So it was good to see him back on board during the autumn, having been granted special dispensation to be selected having agreed to join Cardiff next season.
That saw him win his fourth cap as he started on the openside flank against Fiji.
But now he’s out in the cold again, once more ineligible under the 60-cap rule.
So how come?
Well, issues related to the rule, such as the approving of exceptions, are addressed on a series-by-series basis by the Professional Rugby Board.
For the autumn series, Wales were short of experienced opensides, so Pivac sought permission to select Young and that was granted by the PRB, the joint body made up of representatives from the WRU and regions.
But that only applied to that campaign. It didn’t automatically apply to the Six Nations too.
And now the landscape has changed somewhat.
Having shone brightly in the autumn, Taine Basham is now established at No 7 with more Test experience under his belt, while the versatile Jenkins also had a fine campaign on his return from a lengthy lay-off.
There has also been the emergence of the in-form Morgan, while Moriarty is available again to add his seasoned presence to the breakaway contingent.
So, given the stronger position in terms of the back rowers available for selection, Pivac didn’t seek permission for Young to be granted special dispensation this time.
As such, he reverts to being ineligible under the 60-cap rule.
When he joins Cardiff at the end of this season, he will be fully available to Wales once more.
All of which brings us full circle really.
The message is pretty clear. Being based on home soil generally increases the chances of a player being selected for international duty.
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