Departing Wallaby Adam Ashley-Cooper says he will make himself available for a Test call-up should he be needed from France in coming seasons.
Ashley-Cooper could be one of the first beneficiaries of the Australian Rugby Union's new policy on selecting long-serving overseas-based players for Wallabies duty.
The evergreen utility is entering his 10th and final season in a gold jersey and has amassed 104 Test caps over that period, putting him well within the ARU's new stipulation that players give seven years and 60 Tests to the Wallabies before becoming eligible for offshore selection.
Form and injury permitting, the 31-year-old will play a key role in Australia's World Cup campaign in five months' time, before joining Bordeaux on a two-year deal.
But as the undisputed king of consistency in the Wallabies back line, he will be one of the first players Test coach Michael Cheika turns to for important clashes in 2016 and beyond, using regulation nine in World Rugby's rule book to demand Ashley-Cooper's French masters release their foreign star.
"I said long before or during speculation about this change that I will always put my hand up to play for Australia," Ashley-Cooper said after the Waratahs' win over the Rebels on Saturday night. "Whether or not I'll be fast enough or sharp enough to do that, that would be up to me in years to come. But I'll always put my hand up."
The experienced player gave his blessing to the changes, which were announced last week with immediate effect.
"I see it as a great reward for blokes who've given ... seven years [and] more than 60 caps to the ARU," he said.
"In the end I think you'll see it will retain young players, give them that incentive to reach that criteria to give them an option later on in their career.
"It's a win-win for the player who's reached that goal and also the ARU who are going to be able to conserve a bit of money to put into the youth of Australian rugby."
The changes could also bring about a reunion of epic proportions, if Cheika drafts Toulon-based midfielder Matt Giteau and his teammate and former Wallaby and Waratah Drew Mitchell.
"There are a few guys who are eligible, George Smith, Matt Giteau, Drew Mitchell, all very close friends of mine who I spent many years and many Tests and tours with. That could be a special moment," Ashley-Cooper said. "But highlighting Gits's career, it gives him a really good opportunity to reach that 100-Test mark that he deserves. It's up to him now, the ball's in his court to be playing well to grant him selection in the World Cup squad."
The Waratahs head to Canberra this week to play Ashley-Cooper's old team the Brumbies in a fight for top spot in the Australian conference, which guarantees a Super Rugby finals berth.
NSW coach Cheika bluntly called his side's 18-16 win nothing to write home about in the post-match washup at the weekend.
Ashley-Cooper said the Waratahs were guilty of becoming "complacent" in parts of the match. "I'm happy with where the team's at because we want to be winning at the end of the day, and I thought we did well to come back off a pretty slow couple of mid quarters there," he said.
"I think we got a little bit complacent, we probably didn't give the Rebels the respect they deserve. They could have got a penalty and stolen the game from us. We have to become a little bit more ruthless when things are going our way rather than just sitting on our heels and expecting it to happen."
