AUSTRALIAN centre Jason Little broke his collar bone while putting on a shirt yesterday, ruling him out of action for five months.

Little will miss the forthcoming Test matches against Wales and Canada and the Tri Nation series with New Zealand and South Africa after breaking his collar bone for the second time in three weeks.

He said he heard a loud crack while pulling on hid shirt yesterday after experiencing a sharp pain when he took a pass during training on Tuesday. The Queensland back first fractured the bone in a collision with South Africa captain Francois Pienaar in the Super 12 match against Transvaal.

"It's disappointing, but there's nothing I can do about it" Little said. "I thought the collar bone was coming along well and then, bang, out of the blue it just snaps."

Little also broke his nose in his collision with Pienaar and required 40 internal and external stitches to a deep cut on his forehead.

Initially ruled out for six weeks, Little resumed training last week in a bid to play in Australia's two matches against Wales. His doctor has advised him that he will now be unable to resume action until October.

. French star Thierry Lacroix will not be able to play for Natal this season. Lacroix decided to rejoin the South African province he represented last year after being dropped from the French side. But the South African Rugby Football Union will apply the 180 day 5ft out rule for players from the northern hemisphere.

Christo Ferreira, SARFU's administrative head, said the union's executive had made a decision at the end of last year that the 180 day rule would be enforced for South African domestic competitions.

The International Rugby Board makes provision for this rule to be, waived when both unions concerned agree but this now seems unlikely to be applied in Lacroix's case.

Lacroix and his French team mate Oliver Roumat were a key element in Natal winning the Currie Cup last season.