When Stephen Jones and Gareth Thomas returned to Wales from the cash-laden fields of French rugby in 2006, pundits across the channel praised Montferrand and Toulouse for taking both players to the next level.

The general consensus is that Jones and Thomas’ successful seasons in the Top 14 have added a new dimension to their game that can only benefit Wales at Test level. At that time, there was only a small group of Welsh dignitaries who practiced their profession outside the four regions.

Yes, all four have been competitive on the European stage to one degree or another, which is a far cry from the current situation Welsh professional rugby finds itself in. But unlike the early years of regional rugby, where the occasional Wales international in England or France was nothing to worry about, the start of 2024 is likely to consist of plenty of headlines confirming that another member of Warren Gatland’s squad has decided to sign a contract. Severn Bridge or across the English Channel.

Now, no one can blame any player for accepting a much bigger contract elsewhere, and life experience outside of Wales is also a more than compelling reason to move. There are some players, like Gloucester signing Tomos Williams, who could be Gallagher’s best player in the Premier League, while there are others who could benefit from stepping out of their comfort zone.

While some players improve by joining stronger clubs outside of Wales, this comes with a caveat; Gatland will lose a lot of control when it comes to player availability. While this may not be an issue for more experienced Test players, preparation is obviously key at international level.

If the vast majority of Gatland’s players reside in Wales, it would increase the national team’s preparation time, giving the New Zealander greater access to his players. Imagine that half of the Wales squad play rugby in England and France, so a large proportion of the players will only be available for 25% of training as a result of the strict player layoff rule in the PRL and NRL.

There is an argument that players will develop better at clubs like Exeter Chiefs or Leicester Tigers, and that is a fair argument, but the need for more preparation time outweighs that. Players signed to clubs outside of Wales will miss training camp ahead of the Six Nations and will have to return to their main employer next weekend.

While it’s not the end of the world, it’s clearly not an ideal scenario. Consider this scenario; If Gatland selects the three modest goalscorers he took to the Rugby World Cup – Thomas Francis (Provence), Dillon Lewis (Harlequin) and Henry Thomas (Montpellier) – that entire squad will have to return to their clubs next weekend. , and anyone who was not called up to the matchday squad will also have to return for the trial game week.

One of the main reasons for Ireland’s recent success is the fact that all of their players are based in four provinces, meaning coaches have great access, although it is better for cohesion. With professional football in Wales currently undergoing a period of austerity and the regions operating under a £4.5m salary cap, it is inevitable that they will not be able to retain all of their players.

With Williams at Gloucester, George North at Provence Rugby, Rhys Carré headed to Saracens, Aaron Wainwright wanted by English clubs and Rio Dyer also in high demand among others, while Dillon Lewis, Henry Thomas, Thomas Francis, Will Rowlands, Callum Sheedy and Jarrod Evans has already left Wales.

All things considered, Gatland could have a good portion of his squad playing away from Wales next season. One would hope that the Council’s controversial 25-foot law in professional rugby would keep a large proportion of players in Wales, but given higher wages elsewhere, this is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve.

It will be interesting to see how much this affects Gatland’s team selection in the coming years, as it is vital to find the right balance between local and foreign players. It is also important for Wales to have four strong professional teams and to do this they need to keep the majority of their best players in the country.

Having Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets compete in the latter stages of the Rugby United Championship and Investec Champions Cup would only help accelerate the development of Wales’ next generation of internationals. Wales may well reap the benefits of some players benefiting from being part of a strong culture like Saracens or Toulouse, but the negatives could outweigh the positives if many of Gatland’s men were based outside the four regions.