HE has been billed as the brightest young rugby talent since Kurtley Beale, and after training with the Waratahs last week teenager Andrew Kellaway is confident he can step up to Super Rugby this year if asked.
The 18-year-old redhead prodigy may have played just 15 minutes of Shute Shield rugby but his undeniable gifts prompted Waratahs coach Michael Cheika to draft him into his training squad after numerous injuries to outside backs.
After training alongside the likes of Beale and Israel Folau, former schoolboy star Kellaway is hopeful of playing for NSW in 2014.
"I know within myself I'm ready to take that step, whether I will handle it is yet to be seen, but I feel that I am ready," said Kellaway, a fullback/centre/winger.
"If the opportunity comes this year I would like to think I could take it.
"I want to hopefully get game-time at some stage in the next two years.
"It was unreal training with the Waratahs to be honest, I came out of school being a big fish in a small pond, to being a small fish in a very big pond.
"To see how they handle themselves day to day was a real eye-opener, just the professionalism of the guys in how they train and how they look after themselves."
Kellaway led The Scots College to the GPS title last year and now plays for Randwick, whose director of rugby Nick Ryan said: "He is the best young talent I've seen come through since Kurtley Beale.
"He has the ability to play multiple positions legitimately and do them well and that is a very unique attribute.
"He is a very good athlete with a great football brain and that too is a rare quality for someone of his age."
Kellaway has been compared to Waratahs ace Kurtley Beale. Source: Getty Images
Cheika has no doubt Kellaway would be capable of handling the rigours of Super Rugby after coaching him in the Waratahs' under-20s side.
"I think he would be up for it, it is all about timing and trying to get the right balance," Cheika said.
"With these young guys it's about getting them the experience so they can perform, not rushing them but still giving them the right chances.
"He has been training with us, he was in the dressing rooms after the Bulls game.
"He may get a chance late this season, we'll have to see.
"This is why we're running our under-20s program, so we've got players we can bring through when needed, and not be scratching around when injuries occur."
Kellaway will today fly to Queensland with the rest of the Australian under-20s squad for a camp preparing for the IRB Junior World Cup in New Zealand, which means he won't be available for NSW until the final rounds.
Kellaway made his Shute Shield debut in round one, coming off the bench late to score a decisive try against Eastern Suburbs.
He has played for the Australian Schoolboys side for the last three years.
He is thrilled to be compared to Beale.
"That is a huge rap and I'm very grateful," he said, adding that the pressure of expectation would not weigh him down.
"I don't think pressure is the right word, it is definitely something that sticks in the back of your mind but as long as the coaches are happy and your teammates are happy, that is what counts."
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
Rising Tahs talent best schoolboy since KB
Dengan url
http://sportlivestyle.blogspot.com/2014/04/rising-tahs-talent-best-schoolboy-since.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
Rising Tahs talent best schoolboy since KB
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
Rising Tahs talent best schoolboy since KB
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar