Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt believes star lock Will Skelton could play on until Rugby World Cup 2027, but admits his immediate Test future is still very much up in the air.
Skelton made a sensational return to the Test arena last weekend, helping bend the British and Irish Lions defence as the Wallabies built a 23-5 halftime lead, only to see that advantage slip in the 80th minute at the MCG.
The veteran lock got through 45 minutes in his return from a calf injury and looms as a key player once more against the Lions in Sydney this weekend, particularly after Rob Valetini's scratching.
But Skelton's availability beyond Saturday night is shrouded in uncertainty, along with several other Wallabies who have committed their futures beyond this season to overseas clubs. If Schmidt is true to his word, the likes Taniela Tupou, Langi Gleeson and Tom Hooper could all be on the outer for the Rugby Championship, as the Kiwi looks to prioritise local talent.
Injuries could however shift that thinking, while Skelton is likely to be under some pressure to make himself unavailable by his French paymasters La Rochelle. His club coach Ronan O'Gara has kept a close eye on Skelton through his commentary duties with Sky Sports.
"We've had those, but they're probably just in their early stages, and those conversations will become a bit clearer probably post-Saturday," Schmidt said of Skelton's Wallabies availability beyond this weekend.
"I'll be catching up with Will on Sunday, and we'll confirm a bit of a map forward from there. But he brings a confidence of having the experience of winning things, and he brings a confidence that's contagious a little bit.
"The guys around him get confidence from playing alongside Will."
Skelton has not played provincial rugby in Australia since 2016 after he accepted a short-term contract with English powerhouse Saracens, a move that set him on the path to European stardom.
He has since tasted both English Premiership and European Cup glory and was also nominated for European Player of the Year in 2023-24, making himself one of the most sought-after signatures in the game.
Contracted to La Rochelle through to the end of the 2027-28 northern season, Skelton will be 36 by the time that deal expires and 35 at the World Cup in 2027. His recent calf injury, so too the one that scrubbed him from any involvement in the 2023 tournament after Australia's opening win over Georgia, does however show how delicately his gigantic frame needs to be managed.
"The volume he plays, and he's certainly contracted beyond there with La Rochelle, so I think it's realistic that he remains part of the conversation," Schmidt said of Skelton's 2027 RWC prospects.
"It's so hard, two years away, to be accurate, predicting player performance. But he's a behemoth, really, isn't he? He's a very big human, but he's also agile and skillful, and he's got great connection in the group. And the other thing is, he is incredibly proud every time he puts that gold jersey on. He's incredibly keen to be part of things."
While it would be unlikely that Skelton would play the entirety of the Rugby Championship, it is plausible that he does head to South Africa for the Wallabies' two Tests against the world champions or is put on ice for the closing games of the tournament, a home-and-away Bledisloe series against the All Blacks.
Certainly, Schmidt appears to have held Valetini back from this weekend's Lions finale to get him right for the opening Springboks clash in a fortnight, while Allan Alaalatoa's shoulder injury has created a tricky situation regarding Tupou.
The tighthead, who has signed a two-year deal with Racing 92 in Paris, returns to the Wallabies line-up this weekend having shown signs of genuine improvement in the First Nations-Pasifika team that faced the Lions between the first and second Tests.
It was likely, however, that Schmidt would have looked to prioritise back-up tightheads Tom Robertson and Zane Nonggorr for the Rugby Championship if Alaalatoa had remained fit, but that plan has been scuttled by the Brumbies skipper's injury.
Similarly, Hooper and Gleeson may well have been under pressure to hold their spots for the Rugby Championship if Valetini was completely fit, but the back-rower's troublesome calf may yet earn the duo a reprieve.
Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, who can play both lock and No. 6, is meanwhile banging down the door for selection after standout games for the AUNZ Invitational XV and the First Nations-Pasifika XV, while Reds back-rower Joe Brial is a player on the rise.