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Wallaby departure opens the door for former Northampton Saint to shine
By Online Editors
While sad to see Jack Maddocks leave Melbourne, new recruit Andrew Kellaway knows it could also help him break into the Rebels Super Rugby starting side.
Maddocks departed the Rebels earlier this month to join the Waratahs, citing a personal desire to shift home.
Kellaway was disappointed to lose his former schoolmate without playing a game together, even if it could work in his favour.
"Jack's a huge loss, he's a very talented player," Kellaway said on Tuesday.
"There's lots of depth in the outside backs but it does make life a little easier for people like me trying to break in there."
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Standing in his way are current Test players Marika Koroibete, Dane Haylett-Petty and Reece Hodge while Billy Meakes, Tom English and Campbell Magnay are among the other contenders for starting positions.
A stand-out of the Wallabies' World Cup campaign, Koroibete in particular has impressed Kellaway.
"He's a freak," Kellaway said.
"He's very fast, very strong, he gets on with his work and doesn't say much.
"He's awesome - a great guy to play with and a great guy to hang around and he's teaching me some Fijian which is pretty nice."
Kellaway has also been soaking up the knowledge of Rebels skipper Haylett-Petty, whose career followed a similar path with an early stint in Super Rugby and then a stint overseas before returning to Australia.
"He's a quality player for me to be able to sit there and pick his brain and watch what he does, probably more off the field than anything, that's pretty cool," Kellaway said.
Spending the past 12 months playing in the UK with Northampton and Counties Manukau in New Zealand, Kellaway returned to Australia with the ultimate goal of a Wallabies berth.
The 24-year-old, who had 25 Super Rugby matches with the Waratahs between 2015 and 2018, hoped his versatility would be an advantage as well as his oversea experience.
"I can fit into multiple spots and that's a valuable asset for the team," he said.
"It's not something you want to do all the time but if it's beneficial for the team than that's the way it's got to be.
"I feel like I'm in the best place I've been for a while with my rugby and I probably wouldn't be there if not for my experiences."
- AAP
Meanwhile, over at the Waratahs, new coach Rob Penney is excited to have Jack Maddocks on board:
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There is a major story unfolding around Gleeson's bar in Booterstown, South Dublin City last night. Beaudy Barrett, DMac and Cody Taylor were there. DMac was supposed to be on the Guinness 0.0 but lets just say it didn't turn out that way.
Hours later, Dmac out cold, head on the table with a long stallagtite of flem and spittle rising and falling with his breathing. There is a video apparently.
The barman barred a staggering Taylor from any more Guinness but Taylor kept pushing past him, pulled a seat up to the Guinness tap and personally pulled himself pints, claiming it was 'celebrity pint pulls mate'.
One of these celebrity pint pulls made a local paper but it's only a matter of time before the real context comes out. Dmac is out of the team for Friday due to breaking 'internal standards', Sititi starting at 10.
Go to commentsNow that made me laugh bull!
I tell you what though, the head knock from Kriel on Hugh jones in the wc that didn’t result in any card was a real mystery with the way things are now.
Also suspect the Boks will be pretty well motivated by glasgows antics in stellenbosch last week and loftus in June…
Should be a cracker hopefully!
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