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Super Rugby 2020: Preview – Brumbies v Rebels {7/2/20}

Brumbies coach Dan McKellar has made one alteration to his match-day 23 for the Super Rugby derby with the Rebels in Canberra on Friday.

After making his Brumbies debut last week, lock Cadeyrn Neville will get his first start after Darcy Swain was ruled out of the match through injury.

Brumbies coach Dan McKellar has made one alteration to his match-day 23 for the Super Rugby derby with the Rebels in Canberra on Friday.

The reshuffle also sees youngster Nick Frost named as a replacement, putting him in line for his Super Rugby debut.

Frost, a former Australian Schoolboy has been part of the Brumbies set-up since last May and was part of the Junior Wallabies side that made last year’s final of the U20 World Championships in Argentina.

The side is otherwise unchanged from the one that defeated the Reds last Friday night with rookies Noah Lolesio (flyhalf) and Solomone Kata (right wing) selected for their second straight start.

The Brumbies will be looking to extend their nine-match winning streak at GIO Stadium on Friday, with the Brumbies Runners also set to play a curtain raiser ahead of the Super Rugby fixture.

McKellar commented: “It’s a shame for Darcy to miss this week with injury but it’s a great opportunity for another one of our young blokes in Nick Frost who’s been working hard all off season.

“I thought our debutants were great last week and I’m pleased that for the most part we able to maintain some continuity across the park.

“We know the Rebels will be looking to bounce back against us and we’re expecting a physical, tough encounter on Friday night.”

Melbourne coach Dave Wessels says the Rebels are a “good team that played badly” in Japan but that hasn’t stopped him making several changes in his forward pack to meet the Brumbies on Friday.

The Rebels were dusted 36-27 by the makeshift Sunwolves in a poor opening round loss in Fukuoka, and Wessels said players and coaches were majorly chastened from the passive showing.

Wessels conceded he may have sent in his senior players “undercooked” without only 40 minutes of trial time, and having identified a lack of intensity in all aspects of their work, the Rebels are itching to get onto the field to meet the Brumbies in Canberra.

“We were very unhappy with our performance in round one and that’s not to take anything away from the Sunwolves, they played very well,” Wessels said.

“But we weren’t happy with our level of physicality in the game, that’s where it started and we looked at that hard this week. We need to better on Friday night, we will be better on Friday night.

“Our boys have a history of playing against the Brumbies ansd enjoy going to Canberra so we kind of want to play the game now and try and get last Saturday’s game out of the mind as quick as we can.”

Expecting a set-piece onslaught from the Brumbies, Wessels has replaced two-thirds of his front row, with a fresh Matt Gibbon replacing Fereti Sa’aga at no.1 and Ruan Smith coming in for Jermaine Ainsley at tighthead.

Experienced former Brumbies and Waratahs backrower Michael Wells takes the no.7 from Rob Leota.

Wallaby Luke Jones is out with back soreness but that means a debut for 120kg South African recruit Gideon Koegelenberg on a 6-2 bench.

The backline is unchanged but former Force halfback Ryan Louwrens, having arrived late from Japan, takes the reserve halfback slot and Campbell Magnay returns from injury in the bench slot of Andrew Deegan.

Wessels said the team were highly motivated to get to Canberra and makes amends for their loss to the Sunwolves.

“We are a good team that played badly. I don’t think we are a bad team,” Wessels said.

“Maybe the responsibility is on me, some of the senior guys only playing 40 minutes of a trial, maybe they were slightly undercooked for the game. I am not too sure but we certainly aren’t going to make that mistake twice.

“We feel like we have let each other down to be honest and that’s a good thing, maybe we didn’t have enough of that last week.

“We have had a disappointing round one but as we have learned in the past, Super Rugby is not won in round one. Hopefully this is a turning point in our season.

“We know what the Brumbies bring, they bring a very set-piece oriented game so we have to make sure we match that. We have planned for that for a couple of weeks.”

Teams:
Brumbies: 15 Tom Banks, 14 Solomone Kata, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 12 Irae Simone, 11 Tom Wright, 10 Noah Lolesio, 9 Joe Powell, 8 Pete Samu, 7 Tom Cusack, 6 Rob Valetini, 5 Cadeyrn Neville, 4 Murray Douglas, 3 Allan Alaalatoa (captain), 2 Folau Fainga’a, 1 Scott Sio
Replacements: 16 Connal McInerney, 17 Harry Lloyd, 18 James Slipper, 19 Nick Frost, 20 Will Miller, 21 Ryan Lonergan, 22 Bayley Kuenzle, 23 Andy Muirhead

Rebels: 15 Dane Haylett-Petty, 14 Marika Koroibete, 13 Reece Hodge, 12 Billy Meakes, 11 Andrew Kellaway, 10 Matt Toomua, 9 Frank Lomani, 8 Isi Naisarani, 7 Michael Wells, 6 Angus Cottrell, 5 Matt Philip, 4 Ross Haylett-Petty, 3 Ruan Smith, 2 Anaru Rangi, 1 Matt Gibbon
Replacements: 16 Steve Misa, 17 Cameron Orr, 18 Jermaine Ainsley, 19 Gideon Koegelenberg, 20 Rob Leota, 21 Richard Hardwick, 22 Ryan Louwrens, 23 Campbell Magnay

Brumbies v Melbourne Rebels
@ GIO Stadium
Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)
Assistant referees: Damon Murphy (Australia), Jordan Way (Australia)
TMO: Ian Smith (Australia)

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