Wales' 60-cap selection policy is back in the spotlight now that the rule that inspired it is on the verge of being done away with.
In 2015, Rugby Australia brought in 'Giteau's Law' which allowed overseas players to represent the Wallabies if they had 60 caps and had spent seven seasons or more at an Aussie Super Rugby franchise.
It allowed star players Matt Giteau and Drew Mitchell to come back into the Wallaby fold and play at the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
READ MORE: Wales captain accuses World Rugby of creating a monster as unprecedented case to begin
Previously, players were only eligible for the national side if they played for an Australian Super Rugby side.
But in the wake of their recent 57-22 thrashing at the hands of the All Blacks, they are now preparing to scrap the rule altogether and select Australians no matter where they play their club rugby or how many caps they have.
Giteau himself has thrown his support behind the abolishment of the rule.
The idea is that selecting players no matter where they play their club rugby would strengthen the national side. But there is a flip side.
Rugby Australia would run the risk of its best players abandoning the club game for overseas riches and their Super Rugby sides would suffer.
Happily, that is the reason why the word here in Wales is that the 60-cap policy is here to stay.
Yes, the rule has been aided by the fact the national side has thrived since its inception, winning two Six Nations titles and reaching a World Cup semi-final.
But it has also resulted in some of the country's best players signing for one of the four regional sides and encouraged many others to turn down lucrative offers abroad.
But, for all the talk, what has been the tangible impact of the policy since it was introduced in October 2017?
Players that have been captured
The first, and most high profile, player to become ineligible for international duty as a result of the 60-cap policy was scrum-half Rhys Webb.
It was a hugely controversial move and caused uproar at the time. Webb's move to Toulon was confirmed on October 10 and, a week later, the 60-cap policy was brought in with immediate effect, leaving him stranded.
Both sides told conflicting versions of events with regards to when the player's representatives were informed of the impending policy, with the WRU even suggesting at the time that Webb could pull out of his move to Toulon. Webb, though, was determined to keep his word.
The upshot of it was that the WRU wouldn't budge, determined to prove that their new policy had bite. It was a mess and resulted in Webb missing out on the 2019 World Cup.
Much like Webb, Thomas Young's name will go hand-in-hand with the 60-cap policy for as long as it exists. His is a case that does pose genuine questions about the inflexibility of the policy.
In May 2020, he signed a new contract with his club side Wasps, making him ineligible. However, it was reported at the time that Young did not receive an offer from a Welsh region.
If there was no space for him in Wales, is it fair to take his international prospects away? That has always been a difficult one to justify.
Rhys Priestland also walked away from the international game when he signed a contract extension with Bath a few seasons ago and Owen Williams also became ineligible when he moved to Japan last season.
He has since returned to the UK after signing for Worcester Warriors but is still not available for a Wales call-up.
In 2018, Alex Cuthbert put his Wales career on ice by signing for Exeter Chiefs and Scott Baldwin put himself out of reach when he signed for Harlequins in 2019 on 34 caps. Though his move came two years after his last appearance for Wales.
More recently, Jake Ball has become ineligible since returning to Australia having played 50 times for Wales and Cory Hill , who is said to be heading to Japan, will give up his international career.
Two other players that went to the 2019 Rugby World Cup that are also now out of reach are Hadleigh Parkes and Aled Davies after both players left the Scarlets last year.
Dan Biggar had already signed for Northampton Saints when the policy was introduced but he reached the 60-cap mark that autumn, featuring in a match against Georgia to ensure he got to the required number as quickly as possible.
Proof the policy works
Whilst the rule has caused a fair bit of pain for some players, it has undoubtedly benefited Welsh rugby on the whole.
You needn't look further than the list of players who have joined a region since the rule's inception and those that have decided to stay put.
First through the door was back-rower Ross Moriarty , who was the genuine test case for the policy. The 17-cap British and Irish Lion joined the Dragons from Gloucester shortly after the policy was introduced.
You can say with some degree of certainty that the move would not have happened were it not for the newly-implemented 60-cap policy.
Other high profile names have followed.
Free-scoring winger Josh Adams had to make a decision when his Worcester contract came to an end in 2019. He opted to join the Cardiff Blues, undoubtedly strengthening their squad.
In May 2020, Wales winger Jonah Holmes faced the conundrum. He opted to leave Leicester Tigers and join the Dragons to ensure he kept his international hopes alive.
More recently, Tomas Francis has signed for the Ospreys having been stuck on 57 caps when his Exeter Chiefs contract expired.
And the Dragons have snapped up second row Will Rowlands , who has impressed under Pivac and only had a handful of caps under his belt when his Wasps deal ran out.
Rhys Webb's return to the Ospreys was announced in late 2019. He was returning home early after his family struggled to settle in France and was immediately available to play for Wales again. He's earned five caps since he returned.
Players who have stayed
Any Welsh international short of 60-caps that has re-signed for a region since the introduction of the policy will have been heavily influenced by its presence.
The likes of Josh Navidi and Gareth Anscombe had opportunities to leave Wales but opted to stay put and ensure their international prospects were not harmed.
Dragons fly-half Sam Davies agonised over the same decision, as did Cardiff Rugby pivot Jarrod Evans.
“There was definitely interest from a few clubs in England,” Evans said after he extended his stay at the Arms Park.
“As a youngster, you grow up wanting to play for Wales and I came through all the systems here. It [the 60-cap rule] does have an impact on certain players
"A lot of the boys who are a little bit older tend to have that leeway.
“But it does have a big impact with making decisions on contracts. You also have to be realistic about where you are in the set-up and that will ultimately make your decision for you."
Players with big decisions looming
In January 2020, Gloucester moved quickly to tie Louis Rees-Zammit , who is now on nine caps, down to a "long-term" contract before he was capped by Wales.
It was shrewd business by the club. Because the deal was signed while the winger was uncapped, he is not captured by the selection policy.
The length of his current contract in Gloucester is not known, but he will have to sign for a Welsh side when it expires or give up his international prospects.
Callum Sheedy signed a two-year contract with Bristol Bears, despite having another year left on his existing deal, in 2019. He has since been capped by Wales and will have a huge decision to make at the end of the coming season, when his deal expires.
Welsh regions will be on high alert with Sheedy, who currently has 12 Wales caps, now likely on the look out for possible suitors over this side of the River Severn.
In the summer of 2019, Ioan Lloyd signed a four-year contract at Bristol, his first professional deal. Having now made his Wales debut, Lloyd will face his decision in two years' time.
Wales centre Nick Tompkins signed a "long-term" contract extension with Saracens in in December 2019 before he was capped in the 2020 Six Nations.
Again, the length of Tompkins' contract has not been reported but he will also have a decision to make when it expires.
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