Hopes that Will Skelton could at some point return to the Wallabies setup appeared to have evaporated with the barnstorming lock re-signing with French club La Rochelle through to end of 2025.
Skelton has taken his game to another level since first departing Australia for Saracens in 2017, the lock winning European and Premiership titles with the English giants before their salary cap rorting was exposed.
The 18-Test Wallabies lock then moved to France midway through last year, and has since gone on to play a leading role La Rochelle's charge to a maiden Champions Cup final and this weekend's Top 14 decider against Toulouse.
Skelton's form had thrust him back into Wallabies discussions with calls coming for coach Dave Rennie to explore the updated Giteau Law and potentially bring him home for this year's Rugby Championship.
Asked directly about Skelton earlier this year, Rennie pointed to the phenomenal money on offer as reasons why it was becoming increasingly difficult to lure players home from both Europe and Japan.
"The challenge for guys like Will is finance; the sort of money we're talking about in France is just phenomenal and you've got or be prepared to give that up to chase a Wallaby jersey again," Rennie told reporters in May.
"And I understand that some guys would prefer to stay in France or Japan because they're going to set themselves up for life, and it's just the world we live in."
With Skelton confirming his long-term future now lies in France, there will be little appetite from either Rennie or Rugby Australia to return the giant lock to the national setup via the updated Giteau Law.
With Matt Philip having already been returned to the Wallabies squad following a season in France and Izack Rodda soon set to debut for Western Force and also be eligible, Australia's second-row stocks are far healthier than they appeared earlier this year.
Veteran Sitaleki Timani is also back in the Test frame having played his last international match in 2013, whille Australia also has a handful of promising young locks headed by Darcy Swain and Nick Frost.