Tom Wright will make his first appearance of the Super Rugby AU season this week after being named in the Brumbies’ team to take on the Waratahs on Friday night.
Wright was hobbled by a knee injury in the lead-up to Round 1 but has been passed fit to play on Good Friday and thrust straight back into Dan McKellar’s starting XV.
The Canberrans also welcome back Tom Cusack from a shoulder injury, and he comes into the run-on side for Jahrome Brown, who drops out of the matchday squad.
Lock Nick Frost and flyhalf Bayley Kuenzle are the two other Brumby additions for this weekend. Frost replaces Darcy Swain in the second row, while Kuenzle comes onto the bench for Reesjan Pasitoa.
While Waratahs fans might be dreading the thought of facing a Brumbies squad bolstered by the returns of Wright and Cusack following what could gently be described as a tumultuous week for the club, there is at least some good news for the New South Welshmen on the injury front.
Captain Jake Gordon, whose syndesmosis injury forced him from the field in Round 1 and has been sidelined ever since, will make his return on Friday night in the number nine jersey.
In the second match of the round, Brad Thorn has pushed Jordan Petaia onto the wing and reverted to the midfield pairing of Hamish Stewart and Hunter Paisami for the Reds’ trip to Melbourne.
Those aren’t the only changes to the Queensland backline, with Bryce Hegarty starting at fullback, Jock Campbell shifting to the wing and Filipo Daugunu dropping to the bench, while Suliasi Vunivalu is out injured with hamstring trouble.
Seru Uru and Harry Wilson have swapped positions after the latter was given a start from the reserves last game.
The Rebels have named a more settled team, although Dave Wessels will need to trim two names from what is an extended bench for Saturday night’s clash.
Hooker Jordan Uelese has been promoted to the starting side after returning from injury last time out, with James Hanson moving back to the bench.
Friday, 7:45pm (AEDT), SCG
Waratahs
(1-15): Angus Bell, David Porecki, Harry Johnson-Holmes, Jeremy Williams, Max Douglas, Hugh Sinclair, Carlo Tizzano, Will Harris, Jake Gordon (c), Will Harrison, James Ramm, Lalakai Foketi, Izaia Perese, Alex Newsome, Jack Maddocks
Bench: Tom Horton, Tetera Faulkner, Darcy Breen, Michael Wood, Charlie Gamble, Jack Grant, Tane Edmed, Mark Nawaqanitawase
In: Michael Wood, Charlie Gamble, Jake Gordon
Out: Sam Caird, Sam Wykes, Henry Robertson
Brumbies
(1-15): Harry Lloyd, Folau Fainga’a, James Slipper, Nick Frost, Cadeyrn Neville, Rob Valetini, Tom Cusack, Pete Samu, Nic White (c), Noah Lolesio, Andy Muirhead, Irae Simone, Len Ikitau, Tom Wright, Tom Banks
Bench: Lachlan Lonergan, Fred Kaihea, Sefo Kautai, James Tucker, Rory Scott, Ryan Lonergan, Bayley Kuenzle, Mack Hansen
In: Nick Frost, Tom Cusack, Tom Wright, Bayley Kuenzle
Out: Darcy Swain, Jahrome Brown, Reesjan Pasitoa, Issak Fines-Leleiwasa
Saturday, 7:45pm (AEDT), AAMI Park
Rebels
(1-15): Cabous Eloff, Jordan Uelese, Pone Fa’amausili, Steve Cummins, Trevor Hosea, Joshua Kemeny, Richard Hardwick, Michael Wells, Joe Powell, Matt To’omua (c), Marika Koroibete, Reece Hodge, Stacey Ili, Frank Lomani, Tom Pincus
Bench: James Hanson, Matt Gibbon, Albert Anae, Tom Nowlan, Rob Leota, James Tuttle, Lewis Holland, Jeral Skelton, Lucio Sordoni, Glen Vaihu (two to omit)
In: Albert Anae, Lewis Holland, Jeral Skelton
Out: Lachie Anderson
Reds
(1-15): Feao Fotuaika, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Taniela Tupou, Ryan Smith, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Angus Scott-Young, Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson, Tate McDermott, James O’Connor (c), Jock Campbell, Hamish Stewart, Hunter Paisami, Jordan Petaia, Bryce Hegarty
Bench: Alex Mafi, Richie Asiata, Zane Nonggorr, Angus Blyth, Seru Uru, Kalani Thomas, Josh Flook, Filipo Daugunu
In: Feao Fotuaika, Angus Blyth, Josh Flook
Out: Dane Zander, Suliasi Vunivalu, Sam Wallis
SilkyStu
Guest
Agreed
James GC
Roar Rookie
Be good to get a gauge of where the Rebels are actually at one would think they don’t want to be considered just making up the numbers and winning at home is going to go along way to proving that. I thought they showed good execution vs the Tahs but they were fairly ordinary vs the Force. I think they may just come up short against the Reds again but Thorne has done his best with selections to give the Rebels a fighting chance very sporting of him.
Nora
Guest
Ray, I’d agree with your comments that Mack H has had some outstanding moments and has shined over the past few weeks . Just for the record Tom Wright spent less than 2 years at the NRL. His background has always been in Rugby Union, just watch any of his You Tube highlights.
Rhys Bosley
Roar Pro
Agreed, I think that is the reason too.
Rhys Bosley
Roar Pro
Thanks Hika.
numpty
Roar Rookie
He started Uru last week with Wilson on the bench. Same for smith and Blyth... CFS and hegarty regularly on the bench last year instead of Jock, Paisami, Daugunu. Fotuaika started round 1 with thor on the bench. There is also a big difference between giving a bloke a run when injury hits and then dropping him verse keeping him in and developing him into a starter and WB. In fact a criticism of Thorn of the past has been his active selection of young local players and the dumping of more experienced players to the detriment of their performance. Sorry TWAS but to look at how young the reds team is, where it started from and to think that no development of new players has occurred is a hell of a take. How many WB debutants did they have last year? Daugunu, Paisami, McDermott, Wilson, McReight... Mafi and Uru in the squad this year too...
freddieeffer
Roar Rookie
Smart! :happy:
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
McReight and Wilson are the only cases where this wasn't due to necessity though. I don't think a coach deserves credit for playing somebody when they have literally nobody else.
numpty
Roar Rookie
Hmm once again, I wouldn't read much into one player. I think that the number of players the reds have bled and developed over the last two years suggests that thorn brings in plenty of new players. Uru, Nongorr, Fotuaika, Uru, Droasese, Thomas, smith, Wallis off the top of my head have all debuted or added to a very small number of caps this year. A similar list of players could be written for last year in Paisami, McReight, Wilson, Blyth (to some extent), Zander, Flook.
The Late News
Roar Rookie
I left Sydney in the early 1980s!
HiKa
Roar Rookie
And regarding 3. Some wonder why Uru and Wilson don't start with ASY to bench - I believe ASY calls the Reds' lineout.
HiKa
Roar Rookie
Rhys, that's the best read of the Reds selections that I've seen. Thanks.
freddieeffer
Roar Rookie
You're lucky then; we can't escape it on the East coast.
The Late News
Roar Rookie
It's hard to keep up with the news from so far away Freddie!
freddieeffer
Roar Rookie
You mean the Premier's five year closet F-buddy cum day-time colleague who doubles as a double agent corporate liar, money-launderer and fraudster? That one? Gee TLN, I thought you were talking NSW rugby leadership there for a second. :stoked:
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
But doesn't that kind of prove it. One injury to a preferred 23 member and he plays a player who would ideally only play 50 mins, for 80. Seems like a reluctance to actually play all the squad.
numpty
Roar Rookie
You are right TWAS re Tupou, but Fotuaika his replacement has been suspended for most of the comp this year. Also, one player isn't necessarily representative of the whole team. The amount of chopping/changing actually frustrates me a little bit as he doesn't let combos settle for long enough, particularly in the backs. Against the tahs, players shifted positions multiple times as subs were made. This can't be great for continuity within a game.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Is that really the case? It's almost always due to injury. Case in point, why has Tupou played 80 minutes multiple times this and last year?
Ray
Roar Rookie
Not sure that Tom Wright strengthens the Brumbies after Mack Hansen's game last week. where Mack H was the serious enabler for a couple of tries. Tom certainly has talent, but like many ex-ARL players, his game still contains errors.
Mark Richmond
Roar Guru
Jahrome Brown is out to injury....possibly up to 6 weeks with a shoulder injury.