Fullback's shock axing a big reminder for Wallabies
SPOTLIGHT: Andrew Kellaway believes the cut-throat battle for World Cup spots hasn’t changed the mindset of the Wallabies players as they hunt their first win of the year in Melbourne’s Bledisloe Cup match.
A hamstring injury meant Kellaway missed Australia’s first two Tests under new coach Eddie Jones but he’s in line to start at fullback against the unbeaten All Blacks on Saturday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The Wallabies look set to be without injured co-captain Michael Hooper after the veteran flank failed to train with the team on Monday in Melbourne.
The moves come amid speculation Jones had considered naming his squad for the World Cup in France early to alleviate anxiety within the playing group.
Tom Wright started in the No.15 jersey against South Africa and Argentina but was then was ruthlessly axed from the squad altogether, while Reece Hodge and Pete Samu were also selection casualties.
Conceding some of his teammates might handle the selection squeeze differently, Kellaway didn’t feel the pressure on players had changed.
“I don’t think anxiety is the right word, I think it’s expectation,” Kellaway said.
“We’ve always known that – you don’t perform you’re out, right? So seeing a guy of Wrighty’s class leave the group is only sort of a reaffirmation of that fact.
“We’re blessed with depth in the outside backs here and if you don’t take your opportunity you leave yourself up for those things you can’t control.
“But I don’t think there’s anything new there, that’s something that’s always there.”
The story continues below…
Australia hasn’t won the Bledisloe Cup since 2002, in Jones’ first stint as coach.
In Melbourne last year they came desperately close to victory in the first fixture before a controversial 37-39 loss after a late All Blacks try.
Kellaway crossed twice in that match and said the performance gave the team belief, despite the chorus of naysayers after their recent losses.
“Tweak a little bit of the management of the referee there at the end of Melbourne last year and it’s a different story,” Kellaway said.
“If we reflect on that, I think the biggest lesson and probably the most important is that if we play the way we want to play we give ourselves every chance.”
While Hooper looks set to miss his second game due to a calf injury, burly prop Taniela Tupou has declared he’s ready for his first Test since rupturing his achilles tendon last November.
The 27-year-old recovered well after playing 40 minutes for Australia ‘A’ against his birth country Tonga but was ill over the weekend.
Tupou was in the thick of action at training on Monday and said he hoped to play.
“The last few days were hard but I trained today [Monday] and did everything and my body feels good and I feel ready to go,” Tupou said.
