Rhys Carre's fine form for Saracens has seen fans pleading for his return to the Wales squad - but there's a problem.

The loosehead prop has slotted back in with ease on his return to the Premiership giants, having swapped Cardiff for north London for a second time last summer. Carre has rightly earned plaudits for his superb performances for Sarries, featuring in 11 matches so far this season and scoring two tries while also making some huge carries and proving a rock at scrum-time.

He produced another eye-catching display in his side's thrilling 35-26 victory over Bristol Bears on Saturday, with a rampaging solo carry to set up the bonus point try perhaps the pick of his highlights.

READ MORE: Today's rugby news as Wales star puts snub behind him and Cheika tells Gatland he's got just the man

READ MORE: Tonight's rugby news as new Welsh kid backed to reach Louis Rees-Zammit heights

Amid Wales' current woes, Carre's form has seen fans - and former Welsh international Dominic Day - call for him to make a return to the international squad in time for the Six Nations which starts later this month.

"Wales have to get Rhys Carre back in the mix," said Day after watching the prop in action against Bristol. "He’s one of the biggest loose heads in the game, definitely the biggest Wales have and he gets through a lot of ball carrying. They need some monsters back in the team for the Six Nations.

"Rhys Carre is exactly the sort of player Wales are missing right now. Solid as a rock in the scrum, and just incredibly physical in the carry," wrote another, while a third added: "Rhys Carre performance for Saracens yesterday was excellent. He’s got to be back in with a shout of the Six Nations squad."

However, plead as fans might, a return for Carre isn't going to happen.

First and foremost, the 26-year-old is currently not eligible to play for Wales, having only won 20 caps before crossing over the border to rejoin Sarries. That leaves him five short of the requisite 25-caps, with only a return to this side of the Severn Bridge allowing him to add to his tally.

Even if he was eligible, however, whether he would even be picked is another matter, with Carre choosing to leave Welsh rugby and give up his Test career due to his dwindling prospects under Warren Gatland. The loosehead was axed from Wales' 2023 World Cup training camp for failing to hit "performance targets" - which included a weight target - with his removal from the squad made in a public announcement.

Between then and his move to Saracens, he did not pull on the Welsh jersey again, with Gatland confirming that the prop wasn't even considered for a place in last year's Six Nations squad.

In an honest interview with Cardiff Rugby ahead of his final appearance at the Arms Park in April, Carre said that his international chances had worsened as his performances at regional level had improved, leaving him confused. He added that his decision to depart was down to "everything that had gone on" with Wales, having enjoyed his time with Cardiff.

"The decision wasn’t based on a Cardiff perspective, more the Wales perspective," he said. “From a club perspective, I think I’ve got better every year. I just think from an international perspective, I’ve probably gone backwards. As I’ve got better playing for my club, I’ve got looked at less from an international stand-point. I can’t say exactly how and why.

"All you can do as a player is play well for your club. Some people just don’t get picked. Some people just aren’t a coach's cup of tea or whatever. If you are playing well and still aren’t getting picked, there’s not much you can do," he added.

“Some things aren’t meant to be. It just felt like now was the right time and the opportunity came up to go back to Saracens. I was there before and really enjoyed it. It’s an amazing club. I think it’s a chance for me to go away and get out of the environment. I’ve sort of stalled since the 2019 World Cup. I haven’t really gone anywhere."

While Carre won't be returning to the Wales fold anytime soon, however, he could end up back on the international stage with another nation. His grandfather hails from Guernsey and, as a dependency of the Crown outside the UK, people from the Channel Islands are free to choose whichever home nation they like to represent.

With the prop's last cap for Wales coming in February 2023, it means he would have to wait just over another year until February 2026 before becoming free to represent Scotland, England or Ireland on the international stage.