O'Gara's La Rochelle calls Skelton back from Rugby Championship for Top 14 opener

Also, ex Munster head coach Graham Rowntree has landed his first job since leaving the province, and has been appointed to a leading club in Japan ahead of favourite Warren Gatland

BACK TO FRANCE: Will Skelton of the Wallabies will miss his country's next series of games in the Rugby Championship

WALLABY talisman Will Skelton is unlikely to take any further in Australia's Rugby Championship campaign after Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle called him back to Europe to prepare for the start of the Top 14 campaign next month.

Rugby Australia has confirmed that Skelton will miss home tests against Argentina in Townsville and Sydney, with no guarantee he will return for the final matches against New Zealand.

As the Wallabies return to camp this week ahead of their September 6 clash with Argentina, Skelton will be back on board with Stade Rochelais as they begin their domestic campaign with a high-profile clash on the same weekend against Bordeaux-Begles.

Skelton had raised hopes of staying with the improving Australians into September, telling reporters “I will definitely be on the flight home,” following their surprise win over South Africa at Ellis Park earlier this month.

However La Rochelle boss O'Gara, who watched Skelton excel in the Wallabies' second and third tests against the British and Irish Lions is not prepared to do without his giant second row as he bids to break the club's Top 14 title drought this season. 

Under World Rugby’s regulation 9, La Rochelle are obliged to let Skelton play, but the 33-year-old, the club, and Rugby Australia have had rolling negotiations on scenarios that will best serve all parties.

With the Top 14 due to start on September 6, and with Skelton having had no break since the end of the last one in June, it was agreed that Skelton would return to La Rochelle, rest, and prepare for the new season.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean Skelton’s Rugby Championship tournament is over.

According to informed sources, the possibility of Skelton returning to the Wallabies squad for the Bledisloe Cup series next month was discussed as recently as last week, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

While Skelton's departure opens the door for reserve lock Lukhan Salakai-Loto, it leaves Joe Schmidt's squad further stretched amid a rash of injuries.

Prop Allan Alaalatoa is nursing a shoulder injury and unlikely to be named in Schmidt's squad for the home tests against Argentina on Thursday.

BIG IN JAPAN: Graham Rowntree.

Number eight and captain Harry Wilson, prop Taniela Tupou and hookers Matt Faessler and Lachlan Lonergan are also injury doubts for the Pumas series.

Meanwhile former Munster head coach Graham Rowntree has been appointed head coach of Japan's League One side Urayasu D-Rocks. Rowntree will replace Scotland's Greig Laidlaw in the hot seat.

Warren Gatland had been tipped for the post but ex-Leicester Tigers and England prop Rowntree, who worked under Gatland on two Lions tours in 2013 and 2017, was named on Tuesday.