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The Wallabies are now in France for the lead up to the Rugby World Cup and although there’s wiggle room ahead of the tournament and the freeing-up of an overseas pick, the squad is pretty well settled.
Despite the side being very young and inexperienced, there are a few lock-in players emerging across the board. Fullback, Andrew Kellaway is one of them.
The omission of maverick fullback Tom Wright saw Eddie Jones turn to the calm and collected presence of Kellaway.
The way I phrased it back in June before the first Wallabies squad was: 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.
And that’s the way the world of rugby likes its fullbacks currently. Player trends are not everything, but they do create a guideline for what works in most cases, and the one quality most fullbacks in the world share is security.
To name a few of these stalwarts; Hugo Keenan (Ireland), Freddie Steward (England), Willie le Roux (South Africa), Ryohei Yamanaka (Japan), Beauden Barrett (New Zealand) and Liam Williams (Wales).
There are a few outliers around the world like an Ange Capuozzo (Italy) or a Charles Piutau (Tonga) but even these electric players have an understanding the mistakes they make have huge ramifications for their team.
Andrew Kellaway is firming as the Wallabies’ first-choice No.15 after a strong return from injury. (Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images)
For Australia, Wright’s rocks and diamonds nature eventually was his undoing because as the margins for error got smaller, the pressure got higher and so did the stakes.
Wright’s learning curve was too slow, and Kellaway is a more experienced player who has gone through the trial and tribulations of hitting a rough patch of form. And he is now a much better player for it.
The 27-year-old can truly be called an older member of this young squad and in his mid-twenties can be called a journeyman with a wealth of experience.
After initially skyrocketing into Super Rugby with the Waratahs in 2016, he didn’t quite live-up to his potential. The former Wallabies u20s captain was then hit by back-to-back injuries in 2017 and ’18, the blows saw his Waratahs contract run out in the sand.
Lost for what to do he signed for Northampton Saints in England, where he says he learnt a lot about himself.
He then played in New Zealand’s National Provincial Championship with Counties Manakau, where playing with some of the greats like Sonny Bill Williams was a huge addition to his rugby development by self-admission.
His final stop around the world was with the NEC Green Rockets in Japan until he was coaxed back to the Melbourne Rebels, where he is and will continue to be a crucial part of a young developing side.
Kellaway debuted on the wing for the Wallabies in 2021 and had a stellar season, finding the try-line or bagging assists in most matches.
Despite being such a deadly finisher people don’t often associate him with flair or deception like they do a Wright or, perhaps, Mark Nawaqanitawase.
Kellaway differs from those players because he’s an astute observer of the game.
It’s an important dichotomy to have, with the Yin and Yang of chaos and order currently found in the Wallabies backline is making for great Feng Shui.
Kellaway’s power lies in his efficiency and the curation of the times he injects himself. In this GIF; Kellaway makes an overcall and injects his speed into the line as he sees what needs to happen.
Kellaway’s injection of pace suddenly puts the Waratahs on the back foot and if Monty Ioane catches his pass he has a fifty-fifty chance of scoring.
More recently, Kellaway’s awareness of the game and his teammates has meant he has popped up and ran lines that initially appear to be wasteful, however, because he sums-up each player within the situation in front of him he sees where the play can go.
In this clip, Kellaway runs a dummy line and sells it well, but then he’s straight onto the next play looking to stay alive.
The line he runs puts him in the perfect spot to support a barnstorming Jordan Petaia and once Kellaway receives the ball he explodes into action and wins the Wallabies 20 metres.
People will say Kellaway failed to grubber or go for the loop pass to Nawaqanitawase but that is exactly the poise the fullback gets kudos for.
The understanding that breaking the line doesn’t need to be a hail Mary is a huge asset in a young and inexperienced side.
If there was to be a critique of this passage of play, perhaps it would be that Tate McDermott appears more preoccupied with telling Kellaway what to do instead of running a tight and effective support line.
A big difference between Wright and Kellaway’s games is that as a former league five-eighth Wright ball-played a lot more, popping-up in first-receiver and distributing.
Just as Wright tightened-up his defence after being in the Wallabies environment, Kellaway is quickly finding his feet at first or second receiver.
But Jones has been forthright about the fact players have been picked due to their unique strengths and Kellaway’s strength is as a great support player.
In this clip, Kellaway can be seen communicating with kick-receiver McDermott, in turn Nawaqanitawase can be seen pointing at the space he wants to attack. Kellaway’s first action is to straighten and put his winger on front-foot ball.
Nawaqanitawase does his thing and bounces out of tackles until he breaches the line. He is well supported by Fraser McReight and Kellaway.
However, in this split-second Kellaway sees Nawaqanitawase is through, he accelerates and punches through the gap, leaving McReight behind.
It is impeccable timing and a show of patience to break free of the line and into open space.
The final example we will look at is when Kellaway floats around the playmaker. He can often be seen hovering off Carter Gordon’s shoulder both inside and out, but on this occasion, he gets it.
His timing is once again perfect and his raw acceleration breaks the tackle of Damian McKenzie, leaving the defensive line in disarray.
The importance of Kellaway and Gordon’s connection from the Rebels should not be disregarded. Those minutes at Super Rugby are invaluable for an infant five-eighth, who needs as much familiarity around him as possible. It is another combination which has legs into 2025.
In Bledisloe I, Kellaway carried 13 times for 90 metres, with two defenders beaten and two clean breaks made. Defence was also solid with 4/4 tackles.
In Bledisloe II, he ran 100 metres for eight runs, with another two defenders beaten and three clean breaks.
However, being a fullback is also about the things not quantified on a data sheet, his positioning is steadily improving albeit being caught retreating for a ball a few times and his kicking is solid.
Something Kellaway does exceptionally well is take the highballs.
Watching the game back and hearing from the likes of McDermott and Gordon, Kellaway is heavily relied upon in the group for his chat and as a leader.
Things like entering breakdowns and securing attacking ball is something he does a lot of as well, and it’s a commitment to putting the team’s needs first and being an option as second.
BUT…
What happens if this pillar goes down either against France on August 28th or during the World Cup, who steps in?
Wright is out of the squad, so too Reece Hodge. This only leaves a line-up of young and inexperienced options; Jordan Petaia, Nawaqanitawase, Ben Donaldson and Max Jorgensen.
Petaia is the most experienced player of the bunch, with the most Tests and is a damaging ball runner who has developed his game.
Nawaqanitawase looked shaky in his few games there and does better when he is allowed to roam from the wing.
Donaldson is probably the most like-for-like for a Wright or a Kellaway but lacks genuine pace and tackle-breaking ability.
Cue: Jorgensen.
The teen sensation exploded onto the scene in his opening fixture running over ACT Brumbies’ captain Allan Alaatoa, Rob Valetini and Ryan Lonergan for his first ever SRP try in his debut appearance.
There was no shortage of highlights with the ball in hand for the 18-year-old and, as the season progressed, his defence improved immensely, showing his bypassing of club rugby was not a mistake, rather that he has the talent to play at the highest levels.
The thing that has stood out most about Jorgensen is his highlights at SRP level could be superimposed on his high school highlights and none would be the wiser. It’s therefore no surprise the Waratahs and Rugby Australia fought hard to win-over this generational talent.
Jorgensen played fullback at school and got a few opportunities throughout the year to test his metal in SRP. Jorgensen’s positional awareness is still something he needs to improve but he has a big boot for a young kid and is a good aerial threat as well.
The final clip for this piece is to show his ball-playing skill, which must come to the fore if he is truly to take this next step.
Another factor which plays into his selection as fullback is his connection with Nawaqanitawase. The pair regularly linked-up throughout the season and put each other into space.
Combinations are constantly talked about and in a team where combinations are far-and-few-between, this connection could prove pivotal if Kellaway was to go down.
Kellaway and Jorgensen are both level-headed players and the pair know how to spot a gap. But their key attribute is poise. Neither gives off frantic energy, neither has been seen to crack under pressure and both look to put the team first.
Of late in Australian rugby, we have had an apprentice taking over from a weathered master without time in the saddle to allow the partnership to grow and a relationship to flourish.
Kellaway and Jorgensen are the perfect ages to carry us into this World Cup and to grow for the home World Cup in 2027.
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.