Douglas eying Wallaby back door
Douglas, who on Friday signed a three-year contract with the Reds and Australian Rugby Union, will train with the wallabies this week – as they prepare for their Rugby Championship decider against the All Blacks in Sydney on Saturday.
However, he is not an official member of the squad and won't feature in the match that doubles as a Bledisloe Cup Test.
He knows he is on the fringes, but may have to sneak in through the back door.
Douglas has not played since March 7, his last game for Irish club Leinster before he underwent season-ending back surgery to correct a bulging disc.
"I had a few injections and it just wasn't coming good. I couldn't sit down for longer than five minutes or I was in pain," Douglas told the Australian Associated Press.
"I needed to do something. I've been feeling good ever since. I just need to start running around a bit more and hopefully get a ball in my hand."
While a long way from the kind of match fitness a player should be in this close to a World Cup, Douglas remains hopeful he can convince Wallaby coach Michael Cheika he can play a part.
"He'll have to just see how I go at training," Douglas said.
"I'd back myself, but I'll know myself if I'm training alright and I'm feeling good then I'll be good to go. But it's not up to me to get selected, it's up to someone else."
Douglas said he was pleased to be back in Australia, having sought a release from Leinster just one year into a three-year deal.
"Leinster were pretty good, they knew all the reasons and they totally understood where I was coming from," Douglas said.
"We came to an agreement in the end and hopefully I didn't leave on the worst terms – obviously, there are going to be people that aren't going to like it.
"It didn't work out in the end but did a bit of line-out calling, experienced some different rugby and knuckled down in the wet weather and packed a few more scrums than I probably would over here.
"It wasn't a bad move going over, I don't regret going over, just things changed and I wanted to come home."
Source: AAP
