Wallabies star Andrew Kellaway will not be lacking in motivation when he makes a rare appearance for the Waratahs in their Super Rugby Pacific clash against the Brumbies in Canberra on Friday.
Despite being a regular at Test level and making three appearances as Australia’s starting full-back on last year’s end-of-year tour to Europe, Kellaway has battled to get a look-in for the Waratahs this year.
The 30-year-old has been recalled to their matchday squad for their eagerly anticipated derby with the Brumbies and will be keen to make a big impact in a bid to impress his head coach, Dan McKellar.
Made only one appearance for the Waratahs in 2026
Kellaway‘s only previous appearance for the Waratahs during their Super Rugby Pacific campaign was when he wore the number 15 jersey during a humiliating 59-19 home defeat against the Hurricanes in Round Four of the competition.
While he has been kicking his heels on the sidelines, McKellar has opted to start younger players like Sid Harvey and James Hendren in the outside backs and Kellaway is determined to make full use of his opportunity after being recalled on the right wing due to a quad injury suffered by fellow Wallabies outside back Harry Potter.
“It’s been a tough couple of months, so it’s nice to be back in the mix,” he told reporters. “I’m not the first bloke and won’t be the last to be on the other side of the selection decision, so you’ve got to remember that.
“I’ve been extremely happy with the way I’ve been training for the last two months, so that’s all you can do in those situations.
“I’m glad that I’ve put my head down and got on with it.”
During his time away from the Waratahs’ senior side, Kellaway turned out for their ‘A’ side, an experience which made him remember why he was playing the game.
“It was certainly different to the game I played before that or the game before that in Dublin in front of 58,000 people,” he revealed.
Joe Schmidt reveals the ‘good thing’ with Zac Lomax and which position suits him best in rugby union
‘It actually was really fun’
“It’s a different approach, a different perspective. It actually was really fun, some guys in that group are going to be exceptional players so to be able to have a chance to help them through has been really good.
“I could sit there and mope and say how s*** it is to sit on the bus for four hours, play a game and get back on the bus, but nobody wins out of that and especially not me. It’s just a decision. You’ve got to make the decision at some point to get on with it.”
Despite being overlooked by McKellar for the bulk of the season, Kellaway does not hold a grudge against his coach.
“Dan’s a great coach. He had to drop people and select people in the past and we both know that’s part of the day. At the end of the day, there’s no bad blood there,” he said.
Want more from Planet Rugby? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for world-class coverage you can trust.
The former Melbourne Rebels star, who joined the Waratahs last year, will have a point to prove against the Brumbies as apart from the end result, he will be off contract at the end of this year and a good performance will show that he still has what it takes to perform at Super Rugby level.
“My training form’s been as good as it’s been throughout my career so that’s all I can do and I’m at peace with that,” he added. “I certainly feel extremely content and extremely satisfied with what I’ve put out, and at the end of the day, I don’t make a decision.
“I haven’t had a great deal of opportunities this year and I’d like to get back on the field. Probably at this point, really, it’s about proving to myself and some people in the building here that I’ve still got what it takes to be at this level.
“Once I’ve had a chance to do that, then we’ll see.”