Newly added flanker Whetu Douglas in action for the Crusaders against the French Barbarians in Christchurch on Friday night.

Loose forward Whetu Douglas will provide short-term cover for the Crusaders as they continue to wait for All Blacks captain Kieran Read to recover from back surgery.

That's the good news. The problem is Douglas won't be eligible to represent the defending champions during the Super Rugby playoffs which will be played in July and August.

First things first, though. The revelation that Douglas can be considered for the Crusaders' remaining regular season games against the Highlanders and Blues next month will be celebrated by those supporters who were dismayed the talented back rower, a welcome addition last year when recruited as a temporary replacement for the injured Read, left the club mid-way through the campaign to honour a deal he had signed with Italian club Treviso for the 2017-18 northern season.

Now Douglas is back in Christchurch, having agreed terms for the Crusaders for the 2019 and 2020 seasons.

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GETTY IMAGES Crusaders coach Scott Robertson will only be able to call on Whetu Douglas for the final two Super Rugby round-robin games against the Highlanders and the Blues .

He was initially expected to resume his career in New Zealand with Canterbury during the Mitre 10 Cup, but Crusaders coach Scott Robertson rushed Douglas back on to the reserves bench for the match against the French Barbarians in Christchurch on Friday night because his back row stocks were depleted by injuries and All Blacks being on test duty.

After the game, which the Crusaders won 42-26 at AMI Stadium, Robertson confirmed Douglas would join his squad for the competition games against the Highlanders and Blues.

"Yes, he is around now. He becomes eligible for the last two round-robin games but is not eligible for the finals," Robertson said.

Sanzaar regulations prevent Douglas having the chance to play for the defending champions at the sharp end of the season because at the start of the year all teams were required to forward a list of players - outside of specialist front rowers - who will participate in the playoffs. Because Douglas was playing in Italy, and presumably had not signed a deal with the Crusaders at that point, he was not added.

"So you just can't bring anyone in, you have to have a list of players that you would like to be eligible … and Whetu is not on that list," Robertson added.

This is to prevent clubs loading-up their squads ahead of the sudden-death matches. In 2011, the Crusaders weren't happy when the Stormers had recruited Schalk Britz from the United Kingdom to play in the semifinal in Cape Town, and as a consequence Sanzaar closed that loophole.

Douglas, now 27, was an immediate hit for the Crusaders when he played at No 8 last year. During his six appearances in Super Rugby the New Zealand Maori representative proved an athletic ball carrier with a big engine, and when Read returned to the team after recovering from wrist surgery the Crusaders coaches hoped Douglas would stay with the team for a few more games.

However, he decided to head to Italy for his new club's pre-season preparations.

Whether he will get much game time for the Crusaders in this Super Rugby campaign would depend on who else is available. As it stands, Robertson is looking at a casualty ward that contains a number of loose forwards who are nursing injuries.

PHOTOSPORT Mitchell Hunt scored two tries and kicked six conversions in the Crusaders' 42-26 win over the French Barbarians.

In addition to Read yet to play this year after having spinal surgery in December, and while it is hoped he might play some Super Rugby there are no guarantees, Jordan Taufua has a calf tear and has been ruled out of the All Blacks' tests against France.

Tom Sanders has been knocked out of the Super Rugby campaign because of a serious ankle injury, Heiden Bedwell-Curtis wasn't considered for the game against the French Barbarians because of a niggle and Billy Harmon had to leave the field during that fixture because of a painful knee problem.

The next assignment for the Crusaders is against the Western Force in Perth next weekend. They leave Christchurch on Tuesday.