Pick Europe-based players, urges Jeremy Paul

Pick Europe-based players, urges Jeremy Paul
By Jim Tucker
July 10, 2008 12:00am

FORMER Test stalwart Jeremy Paul yesterday pushed for a shake-up in Australian rugby by calling for overseas-based players to be eligible for selection.

Paul has just returned from a swansong season with English club Gloucester and has agreed to a final Ballymore appearance on Sunday in the Alan Jones-coached Barbarians side which will tackle the Queensland XV.

Our rugby union sectionThe 72-Test hooker said his view was common sense when Australia had a relatively

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I'd hope we're not at that stage yet

Pick Europe based players and take away the one incentive to not move up north, yeah right....

Its probably a matter of time. Should Gits decide he wants to explore Europe after his contract expires next year, its conceivable that the Wallabies may want--or even need--to have an option available to select him.

The Boks at current are suffering to a degree due to the extraordinary situation where different rules are being applied to different competitions and NH-based players are struggling abit to adapt to playing under the ELVs.

Once this situation is rectified, however, I don't see any significant transitional issues for a quality player.

In any case I think the coaches should have the option to experiment with whichever player they deem suitable to get a call-up. Its happened in the past where school boys or grade players with little or no senior rugby have been called up to play, I don't see much of a difference here.