The former All Black has much to offer and will strengthen us considerably next year. I also understand that Va’aiga Tuigamala has already reverted to playing for the Samoans.New Zealand have enjoyed the services of the South Sea Islanders for many years now without anyone complaining but it does give them a tremendous advantage. They take the brightest rugby prospects at a young age and give them schooling back in New Zealand.Now that professionalism is in full swing, there’s nothing to stop any rich country luring promising youngsters to emigrate to a brighter international rugby future and it is time we brought in a few controls.Having said that, as a Welshman I am pleased that Shane Howarth is now a member of the Welsh squad. The following year I played against him in the World Cup but by then he was playing for New Zealand.

Now, I hear on the grapevine that he’ll be appearing for Western Samoa again next year. I was a big admirer, and still am for that matter, of the great flanker Michael Jones – who I believe has Welsh blood in him from way back.I first played against Jones when Wales met Western Samoa on tour in 1986. There are circumstances in modern rugby that I did not encounter so I haven’t faced the temptation. International rugby, for whatever country, is a powerful magnet.I remember being totally confused back in the 1980s when I first began my international career.

But once I’d worn the red shirt of Wales in action I couldn’t play for any other country apart, of course, for the Lions.This is just my personal view and I mean no criticism of those who have represented different countries. It would be sweet revenge over South Africa for not picking him recently. And, furthermore, isn’t he a professional who now lives among the English and will now be a lifelong hero, and a considerably wealthier man, in his new country? But, whatever the thoughts of those concerned, I fancy the rest of the world would be looking at the game of rugby and thinking that we had all gone mad.It is a crazy situation that, with the way the game is, the above scenario could happen. Before it gets a chance to, I believe that the International Rugby Board should step in now to introduce some firm rules about crossing rugby’s international borders.As a player, I am sure I couldn’t have appeared for any other country except Wales.