“It’s hard to sum up all the ways it would be special to me,” he said. “Over the years I’ve had a taste of it in a variety of ways, but it’s good to spend the season and be named on this team and come the orthodox way.”
The Wallabies are clear where they will win and lose the test series. Speaking to the media on Tuesday, McKellar repeatedly used the word “brutality” when describing both the English strikers and what the Wallabies would have to show to win.
Bigger players who have debuted with the Wallabies
- Tiaan Strauss – 33 years and 349 days against Ireland, 1999
- Ken Yanz – 33 years and 295 days against France, 1958
- Cadeyrn Neville – 33 years and 235 days against England, 2022
- Josh Mann-Rea – 33 years and 227 days against South Africa, 2014
- Neil Adams – 31 years and 360 days against New Zealand, 1955
“It’s a big part [England’s] DNA: the stage piece and the physical and brutality. It’s something we’re trying to bring to this group of strikers here, ”McKellar said.
“We’re trying to develop a mindset here about having the best maul in the world, that takes time. There are five groups of players who come from different franchises and they all do it differently.
“So the adherence and thirst of the playgroup has been evident, since my end. Only this genuine physique and brutality of what we do, playing with a real advantage. You won’t win a rugby match without him and he will definitely , you will not win any test match.
“You have to take them on. If we do, we give players like the ones we have on our bottom line a chance to really shine and dominate.”
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Neville’s laborious play isn’t largely advertised, but McKellar appreciates its value, especially at the time of the maul. Many expected the Wallabies strikers to lift their rolling maul with the same power as the Brumbies when McKellar joined Rennie’s team, but it didn’t prove so reliable. The addition of Neville to the initial package will somehow serve to address this.
Watch all the matches of the July test series at home rugby, Stan Sport. Start this weekend with Wallabies against England (Saturday 19:15 EAST), All Blacks against Ireland (Saturday 16:30 EAST), South Africa against Wales (Sunday 12:55 AEST) i Argentina v Scotland (Sunday 5:05 am AEST). All broadcast without ads, live and on demand only at Stan Sport.