Wallabies outside back Andrew Kellaway is looking forward to the possibility of playing against former Australian team-mate Jack Dempsey. 

Dempsey, who plays for Glasgow Warriors, has 14 Tests caps for the Wallabies, but he was named in the Scotland squad last week.

Should he feature for the Scots against his former team, he would become the first player to use World Rugby’s new eligibility rules by representing Australia and then playing against them.

Kellaway admits he would prefer to be on the same team as Dempsey but is happy for his former team-mate being so successful in a different part of the world and wishes him luck, although not against the Wallabies.

Happy for Dempsey

“I’d prefer to be playing in a Wallaby jersey with him but I’m actually really, really happy for him. He’s his own man and he’s found himself a home over here. On one hand, I hope he goes really well. On the other hand, I hope it’s better for us,” Kellaway told the Herald.

“He has spoken to me about it in the recent past. I don’t think that was on his mind when he came over here in the first place. We’re pretty close. My feedback to him was [do] whatever is going to make you happiest.

“Will there be any banter? Of course there will be. Anyone who knows Jack knows there will be a bit of banter. I actually didn’t know about his heritage until he got here.”

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Never considered a switch

Kellaway has Scottish heritage but is too distant to represent the country. The Wallaby revealed he would be able to make the switch to the USA but admits he has never considered playing for another country.

“I always wanted to come back,” he said. “I’m not actually able to [play for Scotland] by heritage. I’m a little too far removed. I could play for America. My grandmother is American. [Playing for anyone other than the Wallabies] never crossed my mind.”

World Rugby’s eligibility rules allow a player to switch national allegiance if they have played less than 100 Tests for their original nation, have had a three-year stand-down period from Test rugby and a parent or grandparent has to have been born in the country the player intends to switch to.