A confident Andrew Kellaway admits he'll be envious of the punters drinking beers on the Adelaide Oval hill on Saturday but says he's ready to put on a show for them.
The Wallabies back injured his hamstring seven weeks ago, costing him a start in the hotly-contested No.15 jersey in the recent series against England.
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“It was actually a pretty slow process to come back for me,” he told reporters.
“I’m very grateful to have the medical staff here to support me down in Melbourne where I did the majority of the rehab.
“I wouldn’t have put my hand up if I wasn’t ready to go. The process was pretty smooth and I was lucky the boys were in off-season and I had access to the staff almost uninterrupted.
“Whilst today was a tough hit out on the lungs but if I get the call up, how good.”
The position remains up for grabs with Jordan Petaia - filling the role of injured fullback Tom Banks - lasted just minutes in the position in the second Test against England before being concussed, and has since returned on the wing with Tom Wright preferred at fullback.
Petaia and Wright had days to forget in a record 48-17 mauling from Argentina in their most-recent outing, leaving the position up for grabs in the side's Rugby Championship return to home soil.
It begins in Adelaide on Saturday against world champions South Africa, who have lost their past seven Tests in Australia in a drought dating back to 2013.
Kellaway was coy about his positional movements, saying he's been training at the Wallabies' Gold Coast base as a winger and fullback, but made it clear he's ready to roll.
"Yeah it (the timing of the injury) was a tough pill to swallow; I was looking forward to playing fullback and it doesn't come by often in this team with the depth we have there now," he added.
“I’m just trying to get in as many (positions) as possible, just getting back across the calls, it’s amazing how many you forget in eight weeks. I’ve dropped in a bit of fullback and wing, bit of everywhere.”
"I'm pumped. Adelaide Oval, what a place; would love to be on the hill having a beer ... (it's) one of the great cricket venues."
