![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/0_JS357185275.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThe 24-year-old will be off-limits to Steve Tandy for at least a year<\/p>\n
Exeter Chiefs star Christ Tshiunza can be deployed in both the second row and back row. <\/p>\n
For all the complaining about the 25-cap rule – and there has been a fair bit – it often seems to be far less important than people make it out.<\/p>\n
In the grand scheme of things, the players who have been captured by it – or it’s 60-cap predecessor – are few. First it was Rhys Webb, then Joe Hawkins.<\/p>\n
Now it’s Christ Tshiunza. The Sale-bound forward is off-limits to Steve Tandy for the next year, at least – having agreed to join another club in the Gallagher Prem rather than return home.<\/p>\n
First things first, if Cardiff’s offer to sign Tshiunza and bring him back to Wales was competitive, then the player can have few complaints with being captured.<\/p>\n
That’s not to say the rule is always applied consistently or transparently. All too often, there’s been plenty of confusion around it.<\/p>\n
Jarrod Evans didn’t even realise he was eligible to play for Wales until a story was run online saying he was. WalesOnline has also heard of another player that has been deemed to be not captured by the rule – even though, to the letter of the law, he should be.<\/p>\n
At times, the much-maligned rule – for which everyone in Welsh rugby tends to distance themselves from – can be chalked down to the simple adage of if Wales want you to play for them, they’ll find a way around it.<\/p>\n
Yet, in this instance, it’s done its job. And so, in a year’s time, Tshiunza will have a decision to make.<\/p>\n
Of course, the 24-year-old already had a big decision to make. Coming to the end of his time at Exeter Chiefs, with injuries having affected him in recent seasons, he needed something to rejuvenate his career a little.<\/p>\n
Obviously, a move to Wales – where he would be looked after as a player of national interest – has its benefits.<\/p>\n
But a short-term deal at Sale will offer its own financial rewards – as well as the chance to play in a physically imposing pack.<\/p>\n
That’s perhaps the more pressing matter when it comes to Tshiunza. Not the fact that he’s captured, but what he needs to do next.<\/p>\n
A late burst of form in the season, capped by a superb solo try against Bath in the Gallagher Prem semi-final, has reminded everyone of the obvious potential that Tshiunza boasts.<\/p>\n
But, up until now, it’s not been entirely clear what he best brings to Wales.<\/p>\n
Having been brought into the Wales set-up by Warren Gatland<\/a> as a back-row in 2023, Wales soon favoured him as a second-row.<\/p>\n However, he’s never enjoyed a lengthy run in the side. Only twice – in the 2023 Six Nations<\/a> and 2024 summer tour of Australia – has he started back-to-back Tests for Wales.<\/p>\n Early on, Gatland wanted him to work on his carrying. There’s also been a sense that he could be more of a physical presence.<\/p>\n Injuries, obviously, haven’t helped his cause.<\/p>\n When he decided to leave Exeter, he had managed just four appearances in the campaign. Since then, he’s played another eight times – being part of Exeter’s run to the Challenge Cup semi-finals and Prem final.<\/p>\n As impressive as that run has been, it’s been done in the back-row – which begs the question, where should Wales play him were he to be recalled?<\/p>\n Perhaps that is what a move to Sale will allow him to work out.<\/p>\n As frustrating as the 25-cap rule will be for the player, he now has a year in the north of England to get fully fit and get some rugby under his belt.<\/p>\n Then, if his form warrants it, there’s time to weigh up whether he’s worthy of a place at next year’s World Cup in Australia.<\/p>\n Then, perhaps more so than this year, Tshiunza will have a big decision on his hands.<\/p>\n Follow all of our channels to ensure you stay up to date with the latest Welsh rugby news. Sign up to our free daily newsletter here<\/a> and our WhatsApp channel here<\/a> for all the breaking news.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The 24-year-old will be off-limits to Steve Tandy for at least a year Exeter Chiefs star Christ Tshiunza…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":660164,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[79264,5903,101,11537,56,54,55,9015],"class_list":["post-660163","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-rugby","tag-christ-tshiunza","tag-rugby","tag-sports","tag-steve-tandy","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom","tag-wales-rugby-team"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/660163","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=660163"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/660163\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/660164"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=660163"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=660163"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=660163"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}