Rugby: Coach Dave Rennie pours cold water on Tawera Kerr-Barlow's Wallabies aspirations

Current Wallabies coach Dave Rennie spent over five years coaching Tawera Kerr-Barlow at the Chiefs in Super Rugby. Photo / Getty

Wallabies rugby coach Dave Rennie has provided his opinion on the chance former All Black Tawera Kerr-Barlow could don a green-and-gold jersey over the coming years.

Kerr-Barlow revealed this week that he would jump at the chance to play for Australia now that a change to World Rugby's eligibility rules has opened up that possibility.

However, Rennie has poured lukewarm water on the 2015 World Cup-winner's chances, saying the team must be loyal to players who have emerged from and are a part of the local Australian system.

"Obviously he's born in Australia, he's a former All Black, but with the change of rules makes him eligible and he's a helluva player," Rennie told reporters ahead of his side's Rugby Championship clash with South Africa on Saturday night.

"At the moment we'll be loyal to the guys we've got, it's probably our strongest position to be fair, we've got three excellent nines here (Nic White, Tate McDermott and Jake Gordon) and Ryan Lonergan in behind that."

In fact, Rennie says there's only one way Kerr-Barlow - who currently plays in France - could ever find himself playing for Australia: a horror run of injuries.

"I had a conversation with him maybe four, five, six months ago, where he rung up just to say that if we ever got under any pressure, if there were injuries.

"As we've seen this year things can change quickly, so we'll certainly keep in contact with Tawera. It's a helluva resource in behind what we've already got.

"Tawera's making a big chunk of change over at La Rochelle, that's where his future lies."

The new eligibility rule that Kerr-Barlow could potentially exploit allows players to switch countries after 36 months of inactivity if they are either born in the country or have a parent or grandparent born there.

Kerr-Barlow was born in Melbourne, grew up in Darwin until his mid-teens and only shifted to New Zealand to board at Hamilton Boys' High School. He went on to star for Waikato and the Chiefs before making 29 appearances for the All Blacks, including being a member of the 2015 World Cup winning squad.