Australia coach Dave Rennie has said he will continue to pursue his approach of adding overseas-based players to his Wallabies squad when the Australians host England in July.
Rennie handed recalls to several players, including Japan-based duo Quade Cooper and Samu Kerevi, during last year’s Rugby Championship and the New Zealander will maintain that policy when his team faces Eddie Jones’ side in the three-test series.
“We’ve got three options per series, so who will depend on where we’re at and the depth we have in certain spots and maybe even on injury,” said Rennie.
“But I’m OK with that. We want the majority of the players coming from here.
“What we know is a number of those boys are on massive money and on our budget we can’t afford to bring them home, even though that would be ideal, to get everyone back playing here.
“We will definitely for the English series have overseas influence.”
Australian rugby authorities amended their player selection policies last month as they seek to strike a balance between building a strong Wallabies side ahead of next year’s Rugby World Cup in France and protecting domestic rugby.
The updated policy limits Rennie to selecting three overseas-based players for any tournament, series or competition.
Rennie also praised new Six Nations champions France after they defeated England at the Stade de France on Saturday to complete the Grand Slam.
“They are excellent,” said Rennie. “The French have got a massive pack, some very, very athletic big men and then world class or best in the world in a number of key positions.
“What we’re seeing is a French team that is a lot fitter than they have been in previous years, playing with confidence. They’re still kicking a lot, playing territory but smart kicking options.
“And then their ability to turn pressure into points has been excellent. You’d say they are the benchmark at the moment.”
