THE AUSTRALIAN Rugby Union and the Wallabies management are seemingly resigned to losing the 32-times capped Rocky Elsom to Leinster, with the Waratahs blindside flanker expected to sign for Michael Cheika's team by the end of this week.

However it is still unclear whether Elsom, a potent ball-carrying number six in the Waratahs' surge to this season's Super 14 final, will be released by the ARU's new early-release policy in time to join Leinster for the start of next season, or whether the 25-year-old will be obliged to see out the remainder of his existing contract and thus be part of the Wallabies' end-of-season tour to Hong Kong and Europe in November.

As Leinster would much prefer the former, the indications are Elsom, along with the Auckland Blues utitlity back Isa Nacewa, will be free to link up with Leinster in time for the start of the 2008-09 campaign, with the Springboks' prop CJ van der Linden also expected to join.