Brumbies Co-captain Stephen Moore will run out for his 150th Super Rugby game when the Brumbies take on the Hurricanes in Canberra.
The Brumbies will be looking to put their new attacking plan into action with the addition of Argentine scrum half Tomas Cubelli crucial to that plan. Viewers of The Code during the week would have seen how Cubelli handles talking English and has been increasing in confidence around his new team mates the longer the pre-season went on.
His combination with flyhalf Christian Lealiifano, who has swapped positions with Matt Toomua, will be the key to get their backline going and get the ball in the hands of Joe Tomane, Henry Speight and new fullback Aidan Toua.
The home side will be out for revenge when they take on the side that knocked them out at the semi final stage in 2015 but much has changed since then for the visiting Hurricanes.
Gone are the experienced midfield combination of Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith and they have also suffered a blow with hooker Dane Coles ruled out during the week.
They still have one of the most potent attacking back three with Julian Savea, Nehe Milner-Skudder and Cory Jane so the Brumbies will be hoping to avoid giving them any space but it will be up to a new and young midfield pairing of Ngani Laumape and Vince Aso to get them the ball.
The Hurricanes have had some mixed fortunes in their three pre-season games where they lost to the Force and Blues before belting the Crusaders by a hefty margin so it will be interesting to see how they shape up in this match.
Key Matchups
Backrow v Backrow – Scott Fardy, David Pocock and Ita Vaea up against Brad Shields, Ardie Savea and Victor Vito. The Brumbies might have two out of three Wallabies in these spots but the Hurricanes duo of Savea and Vito are no slouches either. Whoever gets on top here could go a long way to deciding the game.
Speight v Savea – With warm conditions expected, fans would hope the ball reaches the wings and these two could have a crack and show what they are capable of when given the ball. Speight has the ability to sidestep defenders in space the size of a phone box whilst Savea is more likely to run straight over the top of blokes.
Prediction
The Brumbies need to get their 2016 season off to a good start and they have a great opportunity against a changed Hurricanes side. Even though the Brumbies lost the semi final to the Hurricanes in 2015, they had won four in a row against them before that and their more settled team so that should see them home.
Brumbies by 8
Teams
BRUMBIES
1 Allan Alaalatoa, 2 Stephen Moore (c), 3 Ben Alexander, 4 Rory Arnold, 5 Sam Carter, 6 Scott Fardy, 7 David Pocock, 8 Ita Vaea, 9 Tomás Cubelli, 10 Christian Lealiifano, 11 Joe Tomane, 12 Matt Toomua, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 14 Henry Speight, 15 Aidan Toua
Reserves: 16 Josh Mann-Rea, 17 Scott Sio, 18 Leslie Leulua’iali’i-Makin, 19 Jordan Smiler, 20 Jarrad Butler, 21 Michael Dowsett, 22 Andrew Smith, 23 Nigel Ah Wong
HURRICANES
1 Reggie Goodes, 2 Leni Apisai, 3 Jeff Toomaga-Allen, 4 Blade Thomson, 5 Mark Abbott, 6 Brad Shields, 7 Ardie Savea, 8 Victor Vito, 9 TJ Perenara (c), 10 Beauden Barrett, 11 Julian Savea, 12 Ngani Laumape, 13 Vince Aso, 14 Cory Jane, 15 Nehe Milner-Skudder
Reserves: 16 Ricky Riccitelli, 17 Chris Eves, 18 Loni Uhila, 19 Vaea Fifita, 20 Callum Gibbins, 21 Jamison Gibson-Park, 22 Otere Black, 23 Willis Halaholo
