Wallabies recall for Kane Douglas could delay Leinster move

If his career takes a turn for the better Australian secondrow Kane Douglas may not be available to play with Leinster until December.

The lock, a permanent fixture with the Waratahs this season, is being championed by former Leinster coach Michael Cheika to be recalled by Australian coach Ewen McKenzie, who has a firm policy of not picking players unless they are based in Australia.

Douglas is keen to wear the yellow jersey again, having been capped 14 times before this year, and according to the Sydney Morning Herald, Cheika has said Douglas "deserved" to play with Australia in 2014, despite his impending move to Ireland.

The 25-year-old has a contract with the Australian Rugby Union until the end of the year and the current stock of Australian locks is low. McKenzie may want to keep Douglas around after what will be very physical Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup campaigns this autumn.

If McKenzie decides to select Douglas, he may be involved in the Rugby Championship, which ends on October 4th against Argentina, the Bledisloe Cup, which ends on October 18th against the All Blacks or November 29th, when Australia play England in the final match of their Spring Tour.

“I’d love to get the opportunity (to be called into the Australian squad),” Douglas told today’s Sydney Morning Herald. “I’m still contracted ‘til the end of the year and I am unsure of my release date, so I’m here and available if they need me, (so) they can call me.”

Douglas will play his last Waratah’s game on Saturday, in the Super Rugby final against Crusaders, with Leinster keen to have him in the RDS as quickly as possible after that.

The crux there is that he must be granted an early release from his contract with the ARU in order to come to Ireland early.