The ACT Brumbies want to avoid a tug of war between club and country, and prop Ben Alexander hopes officials leave the players out of the decision-making process when Wallabies and Super Rugby duties collide next month.
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The Brumbies are bracing themselves to field a depleted line-up for the round-17 clash against the Melbourne Rebels on June 7.
Wallabies coach Robbie Deans wants his 25-man squad released from Super Rugby duties to begin training on June 3 for the British and Irish Lions series.
The Brumbies face a front-row crisis should Alexander, hooker Stephen Moore, Dan Palmer and Scott Sio all be part of the initial Wallabies squad named on May 19.
It's unlikely all four will be picked, with incumbents Benn Robinson and Sekope Kepu also in contention. But it would leave the Brumbies with just one fit prop - two-game rookie Ruan Smith - to take on the Rebels after Ruaidhri Murphy's season-ending knee injury last weekend.
The Brumbies could lose as many as five players if Alexander, Moore, Christian Lealiifano, George Smith and Pat McCabe are called into the squad.
It is an undesirable situation for a team leading the competition and the Brumbies are trying to negotiate a compromise with the ARU.
The Brumbies are fighting to end an eight-season finals drought and lead the Australian conference by just two points.
Securing a home final would inject up to $500,000 into the Brumbies' coffers.
Given the battle between the Brumbies and the Queensland Reds is so tight, losing a host of stars could halt the ACT's charge in the second-last game of the regular season.
Brumbies coach Jake White met with ARU officials last week but the ARU's preference is to have the Wallabies squad in camp, not playing Super Rugby.
Alexander said there were arguments for both cases and urged officials to make the decision. ''I think it needs to be taken out of the players' hands, the coaches need to decide what's best for the groups and deal with it,'' Alexander said.
The Brumbies know how crucial one game can be to finals aspirations. They lost their last game of the season last year and missed a play-off berth by just one point.
After the match against the Rebels, there is a four-week competition bye for the Wallabies to play the Lions. Eleven Brumbies players - the biggest contingent from the Australian franchises - were invited to a Wallabies logistics camp last month.
