In the one minute after coming off the bench against the Western Force, Nic White showed why he's the Brumbies' premier halfback and shapes as Dave Rennie's first-choice No.9 against the All Blacks next month.
White, 30, has only just returned to Australian rugby.
He might have been a key member in Michael Cheika's Wallabies side last year, but he only qualified to play because he signed a contract to return to the Brumbies after the 2019-20 season with Exeter in the English Premiership.
The 31-Test halfback wasn't expected to feature for the Brumbies in 2020, but because of the COVID-19 outbreak White arrived home in Canberra in July and there was nothing to stop him from immediately re-joining his Super Rugby side.
Initially there were cries about the bad look it was that White returned to the fold when those like Wallaby Joe Powell and up-and-comers Ryan Lonergan and Issak Fines, who scored the matchwinner against the Waratahs in July, had been with the Brumbies all year.
But it's taken two matches for White to reclaim his starting jersey and show why he had to return to the field for the betterment of Australian rugby.
"It's a different look this week.
"I know he's come on at 50 minutes over the last two weeks, this week he's on from the first minute.
"His speed to the breakdown, his speed of delivery is excellent but also that vision to identify space and opportunity is another strength of his so we'll see how he goes from kick-off."
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White's speed to the breakdown and the vision that McKellar speaks about was evident in both his two outings off the bench.
But none more so than in his opening minute against the Force when he came on in the 50th minute for Powell.
White was a whippet to the breakdown and his delivery was excellent.
It took less than a minute for White to come on and for the Brumbies to score in the corner.
In particular, it was the length and pace in his passing that proved so lethal.
After entering the fray, the Brumbies have a lineout inside the Force's 22m line.
Directly from the lineout, lock Cadeyrn Neville passes the ball to flanker Will Miller who is standing in the halfback position and immediately passes to winger Andy Murihead who has run behind his teammate and takes the ball to the line trying to find a hole.
Murihead does well to get a couple of post-contact metres and is tackled just right of the uprights.
It's now that White goes to work with three quick deliveries to the left.
He cuts out two of his teammates and finds Rob Valetini who is tackled well by Brynard Stander.
Again, White passes without taking a step and cuts out three of men and finds Irae Simone who is met well by three defenders but still manages to get relatively quick ball.
For the third straight phase White works the short side and Tom Banks manages to get his knees to the ground and referee Amy Perrett says "tackle", which allows for some more clean ball.
White then passes immediately from the base of the ruck to Allan Alaalatoa who plays the ball out the back to Simone and the second playmaker sends Scott Sio over the gain line.
Sio does well to present clean, quick ball and, therefore, has the Force defence scrambling.
In scrambling to try and stop the try the Force have over-committed to the open side and left themselves vulnerable out wide.
It's here that White's vision shows.
He cuts out another two teammates on the blindside and hits a flying Banks who tries to hit the hole between the two last defenders. In the process, World Cup-winning All Black Richard Kahui is knocked off his feet and is slow back into the defensive line.
With Kahui out of action, the Force still have another four defenders but White, even with slow ball, sizes up the situation perfectly by cutting out four of his teammates - Alaalatoa, Murray Douglas, Valetini, Simone - and hits Miller centimetres inside the field of play and the flanker dives over to score.
It was vintage play from White who perfectly showed why quick delivery, without taking a step from the base of the ruck, is so important.
It was 40 seconds of sublime play from White, who lifted the tempo when coming on for Powell.
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White will start against the Reds on Saturday evening and go head to head with 21-year-old Tate McDermott, who is poised to make his debut for the Wallabies later in the year.
McDermott might be the best running halfback in Australia, but at this early stage in his career doesn't have the same speed in distribution and quality of pass that White possesses, nor game management.
"I don't know if he's (white) forced my hand, he's certainly earned it," McKellar said.
"You're right, we've got four very good halfbacks here, but he's earned it through his performance.
"There's no doubt he's two cameos off the bench over the last two weeks have been excellent and really lifted the side.
"He hasn't been perfect but he's brought a whole lot of energy and that competitive edge that he has every day of the week.
"He deserved a spot this week and we'll see how that looks with Whitey out there from the first minute."
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