The Brumbies and Reds kick off proceedings in the Aussie Conference for 2020 in Canberra on Friday in what will be a tricky encounter with heat wave conditions forecast for the day of the game.
With the earliest start to a season in Super Rugby history, both teams will have to contend with a 40 degree plus day in what will feel like an extension of pre-season conditions for both sides.
There has been plenty to get excited about for this opening game with the Reds coming off formidable trial form with two wins over the Rebels and Waratahs while the Brumbies only had the one trial where they eventually ran out comfortable winners over the Rebels.
Following the World Cup there is always movement of players and the Brumbies have had a decent turnover in terms of starting players with names like Sam Carter, Rory Arnold, David Pocock, Christian Lealiifano and Henry Speight all having left the Capital with Speight heading to the Reds.
The Brumbies search to replace Lealiifano in the ten jersey was a close run race with Noah Lolesio and Bayley Kuenzle doing their best in NRC and pre-season to show Dan McKellar they can step up to Super Rugby level with Lolesio given the nod to start and Kuenzle among the substitutions.
Another newcomer to the Brumbies backline is former NRL player Solomone Kata and had shown impressive form to beat out the likes of Andy Muirhead and Toni Pulu to take his place on the right wing and will come up against Henry Speight.
Despite the loss of the 2019 locking combination, the Brumbies have been able to call on up and comer Darcy Swain and the experienced Murray Douglas. They have a relatively settled forward pack and will look to their strength of the front row of Scott Sio, Folau Fainga’a and new captain, Allan Alaalatoa. They also have depth in the backrow, which has also been a strength, with Rob Valetini, Tom Cusack and Pete Samu starting and new recruit Will Miller on the bench alongside Cadeyrn Neville.
On the other hand, the Reds have had the least disruption of the two sides in terms of starting departures, however, gone is their wrecking ball in Samu Kerevi but they have been able to replace him with James O’Connor whose partnership with Jordan Petaia in midfield has Reds fans salivating, as long as he can stay on the field and out of team rehab.
The halfback combination of Tate McDermott and Isaac Lucas will be hoping their pack can get some front foot ball and recreate their trial form and keep the Brumbies defence on their toes with Henry Speight and Jock Campbell on the wings and the ever reliable boot of Bryce Hegarty at fullback.
The pack contains a mixture of experienced and exciting young players including Harry Wilson at number eight after a strong NRC campaign where he snagged the rising star award. Liam Wright has been handed the captaincy but certainly won’t look out of place in that role and leads a pack that has a front row of JP Smith, Brandon Paenga-Amosa and Taniela Tupou. The lock combo is Angus Blyth and Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, starting ahead of Izack Rodda after returning from off-season ankle surgery and takes his place on the bench.
Key match ups
Front Row
The Brumbies have always relied on their forward pack and the trio of Sio, Fainga’a and Alaalatoa will have to use all their experience to help out their less experienced backline to secure the win.
The Reds have also been solid in this department, and led by Taniela Tupou they can more than match their opponents and it could come down to the bench props towards the back end of the game.
Kuridrani v. Petaia
Tevita Kuridrani had a pretty solid 2019 for the Brumbies but seemed to be forgotten when it came to national selection and couldn’t get a combination going with Samu Kerevi. He only started in three of the ten Tests and was overtaken in green and gold by James O’Connor and Jordan Petaia, when he was fit.
Everyone knows what Petaia can bring but he just needs to stay out of team rehab and get a consistent run of games going to help the Reds stay up the ladder in 2020.
Prediction
It’s the first game of the season so you can only really look at how the respective teams went in the trials and that would show the Brumbies going in as massive underdogs..but hopefully they get the job done by less than a converted try.
TEAMS
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BRUMBIES
1 Scott Sio
2 Folau Fainga’a
3 Allan Alaalatoa
4 Darcy Swain
5 Murray Douglas
6 Rob Valetini
7 Tom Cusack
8 Pete Samu
9 Joe Powell
10 Noah Lolesio
11 Tom Wright
12 Irae Simone
13 Tevita Kuridrani
14 Solomone Kata
15 Tom Banks
Replacements
16 Connal McInerney
17 Harry Lloyd
18 James Slipper
19 Cadeyrn Neville
20 Will Miller
21 Ryan Lonergan
22 Bayley Kuenzle
23 Andy Muirhead
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REDS
1 JP Smith
2 Brandon Paenga-Amosa
3 Taniela Tupou
4 Angus Blyth
5 Lukhan Salakaia-Loto
6 Angus Scott-Young
7 Liam Wright
8 Harry Wilson
9 Tate McDermott
10 Isaac Lucas
11 Henry Speight
12 James O’Connor
13 Jordan Petaia
14 Jock Campbell
15 Bryce Hegarty
Replacements
16 Alex Mafi
17 Dane Zander
18 Feao Fotuaika
19 Izack Rodda
20 Seru Uru
21 Moses Sorovi
22 Hamish Stewart
23 Hunter Paisami
[/one_third]
[one_third last=”yes”]
MATCH DEETS
Kick off: 7:15pm AEDT
GIO Stadium Canberra
Referee: AJ Jacobs
AR1: Nic Berry
AR2: Graham Cooper
TMO: Ian Smith[/one_third]
