The Brumbies have made five changes to their Super Rugby starting line-up to face the Highlanders, with Scott Sio and Saia Fainga’a named on the bench to play their first match for the season.
While the Brumbies put in their strongest performance of the year with a 28-12 victory over the Waratahs last week, coach Stephen Larkham has not been afraid to make changes for Saturday night’s match at GIO Stadium.
Rory Arnold has been rotated to the bench with Blake Enever given the chance to start his first match of the season along with hooker Robbie Abel, who will replace Josh Mann-Rea after he suffered a knee injury against the Waratahs that could keep him sidelined for up to two months.
Prop Nic Mayhew, flanker Chris Alcock and winger James Dargaville return to the starting line-up with Ben Alexander and Lolo Fakaosilea dropping to the bench.
Test prop Sio is in line to make his first appearance of the season off the bench after recovering from a hamstring injury, while fellow Wallabies player Fainga’a will play his first game for the Brumbies in almost a decade after returning to the club in the off-season.
Fainga’a has had an interrupted start to the season with the Brumbies after the death of his father, Saia senior.
“He’s a guy that adds impact when he comes off the bench and that’s what we’re expecting,” Larkham said.
“He’s a Super Rugby winner and a Test player. He’s still got that fire to play at the next level as well.”
Sio was almost ready to play against the Waratahs but the Brumbies opted to be cautious with the 25-year-old.
“He’s highly motivated this year to perform well. He was probably a bit disappointed with some of his performances last year,” Larkham said.
With former assistant coach Tony Brown taking the reins at the Highlanders in 2017, Larkham isn’t expecting a different style from the side that knocked them out of the finals last year.
“They’ve still got a lot of the tricks that they had last year. They’re very inventive with how they play from line-out and scrum,” Larkham said.
“They still kick the ball a lot and defensively they’re still a very good outfit.”
Brumbies: Aidan Toua, Henry Speight, Tevita Kuridrani, Kyle Godwin, james Dargaville, Wharenui Hawera, Joe Powell, Jordan Smiler, Chris Alcock, Scott Fardy, Sam Carter (capt), Blake Enever, Allan Alaalatoa, Robbie Abel, Nic Mayhew. Res: Saia Fainga’a, Scott Sio, Ben Alexander, Rory Arnold, Tom Stainforth, Lolo Fakaosilea, De Wet Roos, Jordan Jackson-Hope.
Republican
Guest
.......yep, they will give it their all because the Brumbies nearly always do and none moreso since the stakes are so high, however the Highlanders like all NZ teams are very good at turning scraps into a feast. I also think the home ground advantage will be cancelled out by the pressure they are under due to the very low cloud hanging over their existence. Sanzar and News should be hung, drawn and quartered for the irreparable damage they continue to wreak on the culture of the code in this country.
Highlander
Guest
Ash Dixon, Edmonds, Christie, Pryor, Squire, Sopoaga, Naholo - the bigger names amongst the 15 still injured. One 20 year old debutant, and one 20 year old with a single start in the starting XV for the Brums - we are not slowly recovering....sadly.
puff
Guest
The Highler’s are slowly recovering from deep cuts in their run on team and if the Brumbies are going to be successful, GIO stadium offers their best opportunity. But regardless of what Larkham may think about the HLer’s style of play. The Brumbies only quality try scoring ace is the push over try. The boys from Dunedin have experienced journeymen mixed in with some high octane talent who have the ability to live off scraps, confuse and rebuff. I think regardless of who is warming the bench, Canberra fans may again have to eat humble pie.
gatesy
Roar Guru
Every time you write an emotive piece about a team such as the Brumbies who should not be cut for a raft of great reasons, you are met with the tsunami-like wall of resistance from the "it's all about the money" lobby. That is just cheap rhetoric from the loser side of the house ( ie., the Waratahs and the Rebels). It's no good worrying about the money when you are cutting off your nose to spite your face! It's useless worrying about the money when you are consistently and continuously devaluing your product. Enough, naysayers. If that's the best you've got then pull out of the conversation. Let's cut the most successful Australian franchise. What a great idea. Then, when you also-rans can't do any better and keep getting flogged, because the talent wasn't re-distributed - it went offshore - do the sums - what then? More cuts? Eventually Australia becomes the laughing stock of SANZAAR. Is that the direction we want to go in? Really?
MH01
Guest
Interesting year for the Brumbies, going in they would have expected to have a rebuilding year with realistic expectations . Now they are leading a conference and face removal from SR, talk about raising the stakes. There is no way this Brumbies team should be leading the conference , says a lot about oz rugby atm
Republican
Guest
.....I sense a Highlanders upset in the offing.......