All Blacks coach Ian Foster admits he is uncomfortable over former NZ halfback Tawera Kerr-Barlow's aspirations to play for Australia.
Kerr-Barlow won 29 test caps for the All Blacks, and was part of the 2015 World Cup-winning squad in the UK, before heading to Europe after the 2017 season.
He's since become a startwart for Top 14 French club, La Rochelle since joining in 2019 and was part of the side that won the European Rugby Champions Cup this year.
But because of World Rugby's new eligibility laws, he is eligible to play for Australia, having been born in Melbourne and meeting the stand-down period criteria.
Kerr-Barlow, 32, last played for the All Blacks in 2017, and revealed he is available for Wallabies selection, should coach Dave Rennie call on him.
Kerr-Barlow played under Rennie during his time at the Chiefs, where he helped them to back-to-back Super Rugby titles in 2012 and 2013.
However, Foster is uneasy over his potential switch of allegiance, having made such a noticeable impact during his time in the black jersey.
"Look, it's just a consequence of World Rugby's eligibility laws. It kind of doesn't feel right to me, but rules are rules, and he's entitled,"
"All I know is the beauty that he brought into the All Blacks camp, he's a quality person and quality rugby player, so there is no judgment on that decision.
"But what I remember from him is the influence he had in our environment, which is fantastic. To kind of think that going somewhere else is a bit funny."
All Blacks lock Sam Whitelock has less reservations about his former teammate playing for Australia, and likened it to other similar situations.
"I actually just found out before on the bus on the way back from the gym," Whitelock said.
"My initial thought was just let him play. It's just going to add motivation for us to play against him
"He's a great player and he's done some amazing things for us but it's no different to any other player playing one or two games and then changing after a couple of years of not being available for that team."
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