RUGBY is crying out for regulation, for a common policy which is fair to all with returning British Lions.

Wales is to be the only country which insists on a conditioning period which runs into October before players can return.

I'm not going to argue about the needs of a player and his body and how much time he needs off after a long season followed by a major tour.

But what I am going to criticise is the way different countries adopt different timescales over this.

English clubs have chosen to ignore any directive from the Rugby Football Union, which they claim doesn't exist anyway.

Hence a wide range of players from Jason Robinson to Martin Corry have been appearing for their clubs in the Premiership from day one.

That obviously has no impact on their competition because they are all doing it.

And any powers the RFU have to discipline the clubs if they so desire are limited because they all have major financial backers and sponsors, not to mention 10,000+ crowds in many cases, so they are not so reliant on money from the RFU.

Not so in Wales where the four regions depend heavily, in the case of Newport Gwent Dragons almost totally, for their existence on heavy hand-outs from the Welsh Rugby Union, though it's not really WRU money but television money which the Union dispose of, though that's another story.

Consequently, the Welsh teams have to do virtually what they are told, they have signed a charter anyway, and if they are told to rest their top players they have to do it.

That's all very well, but it's not a level playing field in the Celtic League which is the Welsh sides' very bread and butter.

Last Friday, for example, Leinster brought on British Lions Denis Hickie and Shane Horgan against Newport Gwent Dragons.

Dragons number eight Michael Owen, on the other hand, was unable to play. Instead they had to utilise a club player as a replacement who had never even played at regional level before.

Now where is the sense or fairness in that? And the Borders have been playing Lions scrum half Chris Cusiter for weeks while Llanelli Scarlets captain Simon Easterby has been back for a fortnight.

While there can be little excuse for the Ospreys losing against Borders on Sunday it was surely significant they did without their Lions (and a host of other injured players) and Borders had Cusiter and the Scarlets beat Connacht with Easterby an influential figure.

Former Wales union and league aces Jonathan Davies and Allan Bateman have both criticised the WRU policy, claiming players themselves should decide.

On the other hand Wales fitness chief Andrew Hore, who has claimed much of the credit for getting players in the right state of fitness, insists the 10-week break is right.

Something has clearly got to be done because while WRU chiefs demand a Wales first, second and last attitude - and of course we all marvelled at the Grand Slam achievement last season - the regions have to be given a chance as well.

Fans want to see the best players, the regions need fans coming through the turnstiles and everyone wants success.

The current attitude is like asking Welsh teams to go into battle with one arm tied behind their backs. What we want is a common policy as there can't be one rule for some and a different one for others.