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By Jim Morton,
AAP
Updated June 6, 2013, 12:06 pm
Another Welsh clash added to the Wallabies' spring tour of Europe has created a second grand slam tilt in four years but also sparked more concerns about player welfare.
The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) on Thursday confirmed the Wallabies would meet Wales for the seventh time in 25 months at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium on November 30 - expanding the end-of-season tour to five weeks.
Australia traditionally play four Tests in their European tour but the financially struggling ARU has accepted an extra game to help fill its coffers.
With games already scheduled against England, Italy, Ireland and Scotland on successive weekends in November, the Welsh visit gives the Wallabies the chance to repeat the efforts of Andrew Slack's 1984 team which produced a grand slam sweep against the four Home Unions.
The 2009 Australians were the last to have a shot at the grand slam but fell short with a 20-20 draw against Ireland before an upset 9-8 loss to Scotland at Murrayfield.
While the chance for another tilt at glory will be welcomed by players and fans alike, the Wallabies will play 14 Tests in the calendar year and reduce their already skinny off-season.
Super Rugby trial matches this year kicked off on February 1.
Under the players' collective bargaining agreement, they are not expected to play more than 30 matches a year, but that does not include trials.
If a Test player goes through this season playing each match for Australia and their Super Rugby side, they would finish the year having played a minimum 32 or 33 matches, including trials.
Will Genia was the last to break the limit in the 2011 World Cup year when he played 33 games, featuring 18 for the title-winning Queensland Reds who featured in two play-offs.
Rugby Union Players' Association (RUPA) boss Greg Harris said Wallabies were highly unlikely to give up the chance to play for their country at any time, and also when they would give up a $13,000 pay cheque.
Harris said RUPA would address the 30-match limit with the ARU at a scheduled meeting next week and felt it could make more sense to cap Super Rugby games as well as Tests.
"I'm very cognisant of the commercial and financial difficulties the ARU finds itself in and that's the biggest issue - that the game remains capable of paying the players," he told AAP.
"Their problem is our problem.
"If you wanted to address (the issue) properly, then maybe we need to decide the maximum number of Super games is X number and the maximum number of Wallabies games is Y games."
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/spo...s-long-season/
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Originally Posted by The Lone Hydrangea
