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Opinion
There are fewer than 100 days until the start of the Rugby World Cup in Paris. International teams are starting to take shape and players are making a last-ditch effort to be part of the 33-man squads
In recent years, the Wallabies have had very few players solidify their role in the first XV, fullback is no different.
The fullback is the all-seeing commander in the back field, who scans, taking charge when bombarded with high-balls and relays vital information to his playmakers. They area also the last line of defence.
Currently, it is a two-horse race for the Wallabies’ No.15 jersey. Tom Wright and Andrew Kellaway.
Wright has been in some deadly attacking form for the ACT Brumbies. Head coach Stephen Larkham has praised Wright’s leadership and his voice, both on the training paddock and in defence.
Down south, Kellaway has been a calming and stabilising presence for a young Melbourne Rebels team.
Wright is seen as the favourite, after two great seasons of Super Rugby Pacific and a solid Wallabies campaign in 2022.
His greatest assets are his ability to see space and attack it. Wright is one of the fastest players in Australia, pairing this with his vision he has been able to grow into a genuine second playmaker.
However, Test matches are a different beast to SRP. Teams have more time to analyse oppositions and better players are ready to exploit any weaknesses found.
Before proceeding, please note these stats are the latest available from Opta and Super Rugby Pacific where both the Rebels and Brumbies have been recorded (stats from after round 14).
The stats show defence is one of Wright’s glaring weaknesses. His defensive stats read as 26 tackles made, 12 missed and no dominant tackles.
A particular area of concern is his inability to make good defensive reads. He has now been gassed by two blind-side flankers and one halfback. Considering he has some of the hottest wheels in Australia, it is not a good look, and it that is only one aspect which is lacking in his defensive game.
Another more traditional aspect of being a fullback is kicking and taking the highballs. Wright has a decent boot on him and is learning quickly how best to use it. Highballs on the other hand, are not his forte and it must improve drastically before World Cup time.
Meanwhile, Kellaway made a great return from injury. His long looping arcs caused havoc for opposition. He is choosing when to inject himself into the play more carefully and this curation is leading to more impactful plays.
Kellaway is quickly becoming a genuine international utility player, having slotted seamlessly into the 11, 13, 14, and 15 jerseys for the Rebels and the back three for the Wallabies.
Kellaway is a safe option who also poses a genuine attacking threat. Kellaway is the more adept kicker out of the two, usually finding grass and relieving pressure.
He doesn’t shirk the tough stuff, and his defensive stats read as 26 tackles made, seven missed and four dominant tackles. He is tackling at 74%, which is not acceptable at international level, but it is an improvement on Wright’s 54%.
(Photo by Getty Images)
Running stats for the two players look as follows:
| Player | Minutes played | Ball carries | Carry metres | Line breaks | Defenders beaten | Passes |
| Wright | 871 | 130 | 1,419 | 11 | 35 | 93 |
| Kellaway | 586 | 78 | 732 | 6 | 28 | 44 |
Wright is getting his hands on the ball often, teams are kicking it to him, and he is doing plenty with it. He usually runs with the ball in two hands, looking for an opportunity to set-up the players around him. For metres carried he is at number one in the competition, and for defenders beaten he is at seventh.
Much of the same applies to Kellaway, with Kellaway making more metres, and beating more defenders per carry. Wright makes more line-breaks, and this is likely due to his change of pace. However, the numbers confirm that Kellaway’s timing of when to inject himself is making for greater impact.
There are other options for the fullback position, Jordan Petaia, Reece Hodge and Jock Campbell. However, Wright and Kellaway are the only two which add any real impetus to a high-powered Wallabies backline.
Whoever wears the No.15 jersey in Pretoria won’t necessarily wear it in France, but it will be a strong indicator as to who Eddie Jones sees as his front-runner.
Balance in the back three is vital so if you pick a defensive risk like Wright, you need a reliable Petaia or Kellaway on one wing as well as tireless Marika Koroibete ready to sweep and cover on the other.
If Kellaway is the man at the back, you can afford to have electric attacking weapons, but defensive liabilities like Wright or Mark Nawaqanitawase on a wing.
Picking the players to suit the game-plan is a truism, as for what that means for Jones and the Wallabies is anybody’s guess. But Kellaway is the more reliable choice and Australia has enough attacking-threats across the park to forego an out-and-out attacking weapon like Wright, for the security and poise of Kellaway.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.