Rugby-Rennie set to negotiate for more overseas-based Wallabies

and then we need to go back to the board and have a chat around where things are at." Rennie on Wednesday selected flyhalf Quade Cooper, winger Marika Koroibete and lock Arnold in his squad for two tests against Argentina next month, the latter only because centre Samu Kerevi is going to the Commonwealth Games. With Kerevi certain to come back into the squad after the two tests in Argentina, Rennie would face a tough selection choice ahead of two home matches against world champions South Africa.

Wallabies coach Dave Rennie said he might need to negotiate with the Rugby Australia board to bring in a fourth overseas-based player during the Rugby Championship and help him with a shortage of locks.

Under a deal negotiated by his predecessor Michael Cheika ahead of the 2015 World Cup, the Wallabies coach is allowed to select three players contracted to clubs outside Australia. The "Giteau Rule", as it became known, places a constraint on Rennie that few other test coaches have to work with and the New Zealander suggested the allowance might not be enough to get through his second-row injury crisis.

"The issue from the second row is we've lost a number of guys," he told reporters on Wednesday. "Izack (Rodda)'s gone for an extended period, Cadeyrn Neville's gone for an extended period and a guy we brought in to give us a bit of cover, Ned Hanigan, went under the knife last week.

"We're a little bit thin in the second row and we're one injury away from a fair bit of pressure there. So we've brought Rory (Arnold) in ... and then we need to go back to the board and have a chat around where things are at." Rennie on Wednesday selected flyhalf Quade Cooper, winger Marika Koroibete and lock Arnold in his squad for two tests against Argentina next month, the latter only because center Samu Kerevi is going to the Commonwealth Games.

With Kerevi certain to come back into the squad after the two tests in Argentina, Rennie would face a tough selection choice ahead of two home matches against world champions South Africa. The Rugby Australia board, which maintains the restriction to encourage local talent to stay at home rather than seek lucrative contracts in Europe and Japan, can grant extra allowances based on need.

"Maybe there's only three available anyway when it comes to the rest of the championship, but we'll assess the situation when we get back from Argentina," Rennie added.