Coach confirmed: Dan McKellar hated NSW, but he's the perfect man for the Tahs

McKellar fills the void left by Darren Coleman, who was not offered a new deal after the Waratahs finished at the bottom of the Super Rugby Pacific ladder this year.

NSW Rugby officials leapt at the chance to sign McKellar after he parted ways with Leicester just weeks ago, declaring the former Wallabies assistant was the standout applicant for the coaching role.

Former Wallabies assistant Scott Wisemantel was the favourite for the job before McKellar - who coached the Brumbies from 2018 to 2022 and clinched a domestic title in Canberra - hit the market.

"I'm extremely pleased to be joining the NSW Waratahs," McKellar said.

"Rugby in NSW has a proud history of over 150 years and the Waratahs are the pinnacle of representation within the state.

"The club fell short of expectations in 2024 but there are building blocks in place to improve on.

"I'm motivated and passionate to deliver a vastly improved performance next season, comprising of consistent efforts that will make the loyal Waratahs fan base proud."

As much as it might burn Brumbies fans to see him wearing sky blue, McKellar's return to Australian rugby is a massive boost for the game.

McKellar could emerge as a successor for new Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt, having been earmarked to take over from Dave Rennie before the ill-fated Eddie Jones experiment began.

"We're delighted to have a head coach of Dan McKellar's calibre joining the Waratahs," NSW Rugby chief executive Paul Doorn said.

"Dan has an impressive coaching resume and achieved great success with the ACT Brumbies in Super Rugby during his five-year tenure.

"Dan will work closely with high-performance director Simon Raiwalui, and their partnership marks an exciting new frontier for the Waratahs.

"I am confident that the appointments of Dan and Simon will put the Waratahs on the path to delivering sustained success from 2025 and beyond."

Dan McKellar never had to say the 'h' word. He didn't have to. As a Queenslander he was born to hate NSW. As the ACT Brumbies coach he learned to hate NSW in a whole new way.

You could sense it in McKellar in every build up to "Tah week", whether it was a cheeky jab in a pre-match press conference or the look in his eyes whenever anyone gushed over the Waratahs.

In a strange way, that makes him the perfect man to lead a Waratahs revival. McKellar is poised to be unveiled as the Waratahs' new coach in the coming days after his surprise exit from Leicester in England.

It could be a double deal for the Waratahs, who could also pick up scrum guru Dan Palmer after he followed McKellar out of the UK.

Australian rugby is in desperate need of strong voices and genuine passion - which both McKellar and Palmer have in spades.

Take the Brumbies' clash against the Waratahs in 2020 as an example. The Waratahs had won two in a row before taking on the Brumbies and Sydney fans and experts were starting to get excited.

"They've won two games so everyone is talking them up as world-beaters now," a straight-faced McKellar said before pointing out the number of Sydney journalists on the Zoom press conference during COVID-19.

Make no mistake, McKellar loved nothing more than beating the Waratahs when he was in charge of the Brumbies from 2018 to 2022. He got plenty of chances to enjoy it as well - he has a 8-1 win-loss record in games against NSW.

It was a shame that he was lost to Australian rugby when Eddie Jones returned last year, and it's fortuitous that he's available to help the Waratahs even though he has anti-NSW blood in his veins.

But what happens now the shoe is on the other foot? McKellar always despised the perceived preferential treatment the Waratahs enjoyed. Now he's set to be in the thick of it.

There's a chance to rebuild the rivalry. Stephen Larkham - the heir-apparent to the Wallabies job before McKellar was the heir-apparent - going head to head with his former assistant coach.

We hear the pair still share a strong bond and keep in contact about their coaching developments and journey. Things might be a little icy at the next Tah week.

Joe Schmidt says Allan Alaalatoa is "the perfect guy" to lead the Wallabies' bomb squad into the Test arena with rising star Charlie Cale among what could be Australia's biggest influx of debutants in 44 years.

ACT Brumbies breakaway Cale is in line to make his Test debut when the Wallabies open their July Test window against Wales at the Sydney Football Stadium on Saturday.

The 23-year-old is one of five potential debutants named on the bench, with a further two named in a starting XV captained by Queensland's Liam Wright.

Wright becomes Australia's seventh Test captain in little more than a year and bolsters a back-row featuring Brumbies enforcer Rob Valetini at No.8 and Fraser McReight at flanker.

Cale emerged as a genuine Wallabies bolter in the midst of a breakout Super Rugby Pacific campaign, which saw him sign a new one-year deal to stay with the Brumbies until the end of 2025.

The Wallabies could field their highest number of debutants since 1980, with Schmidt naming outside centre Josh Flook and lock Jeremy Williams to start, with prop Isaac Kailea, lock Angus Blyth, flyhalf Tom Lynagh and winger Dylan Pietsch on the bench.

"The fact they haven't worn a Wallaby jersey before this, it's relevant, but it's not going to be pivotal or tip the equilibrium in selection," Schmidt said.

"We just felt we had a balance. A young guy like Charlie Cale, he had a little bit of an injury coming out of the end of the Super Rugby, so it was good for us to build him in and slot him in behind someone like a Rob Valetini, Liam, and Fraser [McReight] where there is good experience.

"He'll slot in there somewhere in the second half and bring that athleticism he's got to it."

Brumbies playmaker Noah Lolesio will start at flyhalf and Tom Wright will return at fullback after the pair were overlooked by Eddie Jones for last year's disastrous World Cup campaign.

James Slipper will start at loosehead prop in his 135th Test, accounting for the bulk of the caps across the entire squad, with Alaalatoa to start from the bench after Taniela Tupou won the race to the tighthead position.

Billy Pollard rounds out the Brumbies contingent, with the replacement hooker set to play his second Test almost two years after flying across the world on short notice to make his debut.

"The leadership at the back end of the game, having someone like Allan Alaalatoa, particularly when you've got someone like Isaac Kailea - Isaac is a debutant and Billy has only had one game - so Allan is the perfect guy," Schmidt said.

"He has played with Billy, and he'll be able to keep Isaac on track and give him some confidence that he is in a Wallaby front-row when he does come on."

Meanwhile, Brumbies trio Biola Dawa, Allana Sikimeti and Lydia Kavoa are in line to make their Test debuts when the Wallaroos take on Fijiana in the opening match of Saturday's double-header.

They join Natalie Wright as the four debutants in Jo Yapp's Australian side, which will be captained by Canberra product Michaela Leonard.

Dawa has been named on the wing in place of Maya Stewart - who has been ruled out with a hamstring injury - to join Brumbies hooker Tania Naden in the starting XV.

Prop Sikimeti - who moved to Canberra after rising through the Queensland system - has been named on the bench alongside 30-year-old Kavoa and Brumbies teammates Siokapesi Palu and Faitala Moleka.

The first call 20-year-old Sikimeti made was to her parents in Brisbane, who "broke up in tears" after hearing their daughter was set to make her Test debut - and they weren't the only ones to turn on the waterworks.

"Tears all day," Sikimeti said of her reaction to selection.

"Very nervous. I'm just really excited to put on that jersey and get on the field. It's a big honour to put on that jersey and represent my country. All the sacrifices I've had to make to do that, everything has paid off."