Wallabies coach Dave Rennie seeks flexibility in Giteau Law as injury crisis hits home

Under the so-called Giteau Law, the Australian coach is able to draft in three such players in his squad, provided they have earned more than 30 Test caps or spent five years on a Super Rugby contract.

Rennie named Quade Cooper, Samu Kerevi and Marika Koroibete as his overseas selections for the England series.

With Kerevi playing for the Australian sevens team in the Commonwealth Games next weekend, lock Rory Arnold has been drafted in for the upcoming tour of Argentina.

The situation will become murky once the Wallabies return home for the remainder of the Rugby Championships.

Kerevi will be back in the fold, forcing Rennie to drop one of the overseas players to meet the Giteau Law requirements.

Injuries in a number of key positions, including the outside backs and locks have restricted the Australian-based players the coach is able to draw on.

Rugby Australia have allowed the eligibility rules to be bent under exceptional circumstances and Rennie is again seeking permission to do so amid the current crisis.

"From a second row point of view, we've lost a number of guys," Rennie said. "Izack (Rodda) is gone for an extended period, Cadeyrn Neville's now gone for an extended period and then a guy who we brought in to give us a bit of cover there, Ned Hanigan, went under the knife last week.

"We're a little bit thin in the second row, we're only one injury away from a fair bit of pressure there. We'll bring Rory in because we can with Samu being out. Then we need to go back to the board and have a chat around where things are at."

While their depth has been tested, the Wallabies lock stocks have been bolstered by the return of Darcy Swain.

The Brumbies forward missed the final two Tests against England after he was sent off for a headbutt in the opening encounter.

Injuries to the likes of Neville have kept the door ajar for an immediate return to the Wallabies lineup, but Rennie said Swain must win back his place in the team.

"We've used that extra couple of weeks to get a bit more work into him," Rennie said. "He'll be in great nick come the next Test.

"From a Test selection point of view, there's a bit of competition there now with Rory back, [Nick Frost] was excellent we thought, [Matt Philip's] gone really well, so there's a bit of a fight for selection."

Arnold himself is no guarantee to be available for the opening Test against Argentina, the former Brumby picking up a niggle in recent weeks.

The 32-year-old has enjoyed a break since the French season came to an end and Rennie is confident he will slide seamlessly into the squad.

"He hasn't been slogging it out in the last four weeks, he's had a bit of a holiday," Rennie said.

"He's done a bit of running, picked up a niggle, but we're confident he will tour and we'll make a decision on whether we think we can get the body right for that first Test.

"We'll see how he goes, how he pulls up early next week and the amount of work we can get into him in the next week and a half. He's been in our environment before and he'll understand the structures, it's just a case of trying to get the body right."

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