Kerr-Barlow pines for Eddie

Tawera Kerr-Barlow, probably the second best scrum-half in the world behind you-know-who, would love to do the Southern Hemisphere equivalent of Henry Thomas switching allegiance from England to Wales.

To say La Rochelle’s double-barrelled No.9 has been itching to switch from New Zealand to Australia all season is not to over-egg the pudding in question.

Kerr-Barlow’s move to France in 2017 ended his 29-Test run as an All Black because anyone playing beyond New Zealand is automatically deemed persona non grata.

Had his old Chiefs’ mentor Dave Rennie still been in charge, the Wallabies would doubtless have welcomed him into the fold on the basis that he is a fair dinkum Aussie by birth.

Since the change of regime, Kerr-Barlow fears his offer has fallen on deaf ears, leaving him with one last hope that Eddie Jones will be unable to resist the prospect of embarrassing the Kiwis.

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