The top of the table Brumbies travel to Melbourne for the most important game of the home sides season. With the club fighting for their future the players now need to stand up and show their commitment and put together a 80 minute performance.
The Brumbies are coming off a very impressive win over the Queensland Reds, with the scores all level at half time the Brumbies managed to score 33 points to nil in the second half. While the Rebels are coming into the game after their second bye, the bye was perfect timing as they would have struggled to find 23 fit players last week.
The Form
Top v Bottom
The Brumbies have managed all there wins against Australian sides and came close against foreign opposition, while the Rebels have had some horrible results, they have been only been undone late two most recent home games.
The Teams
The Rebels welcome back two Wallabies to the starting line up, the return of Super Sefa has forced the Rebels into some back line reshuffling, JD has moved to fly half while Hodge has moved to full back with Inman and English to make up the centres.
The Brumbies have been forced into making two changes from the side that defeated Queensland last weekend, Kyle Godwin has been replaced by the experienced by Andrew Smith. Jarryd Butler also steps in for Jordan Smiler in the back row.
Key Contest
Henry Speight v Marika Koroibete
How could you not look forward to watching these two flyers line up against each other. Speigth has been in good form this season while Koroibete is still adjusting to playing union again.
Lopeti Timani v Scott Fardy
With Fardy heading overseas at the end of the season, this match up could go a long way towards Timani pushing for more Wallaby gold later in the year.
Prediction
My heart says the Rebels while my head says the Brumbies. I am going to predict a pretty good match and a very vocal crowd.
Rebels by 1
Teams
[one_half last=”no”]
1. Fereti Sa’aga
2. James Hanson
3. Laurie Weeks
4. Steve Cummins
5. Dominic Day
6. Lopeti Timani
7. Colby Fainga’a
8. Amanaki Mafi
9. Nic Stirzaker (Captain)
10. Jack Debreczeni
11. Marika Koroibete
12. Mitch Inman
13. Tom English
14. Sefa Naivalu
15. Reece Hodge
Reserves
16. Siliva Siliva
17. Tom Moloney
18. Tyrel Lomax
19. Culum Retallick
20. Hugh Sinclair^*
21. Mick Snowden
22. Jackson Garden-Bachop
23. Ben Volavola
[/one_half]
[one_half last=”yes”]
1. Scott Sio
2. Robbie Abel
3. Allan Alaalatoa
4. Rory Arnold
5. Sam Carter
6. Scott Fardy
7. Chris Alcock
8. Jarrad Butler
9. Joe Powell
10. Wharenui Hawera
11. Tom Banks
12. Andrew Smith
13 Tevita Kuridrani
14. Henry Speight
15. Aidan Toua
Reserves
16. Saia Fainga’a
17. Nic Mayhew
18. Ben Alexander
19. Blake Enever
20. Tom Staniforth
21. Tom Cusack
22. De Wet Roos
23. Jordan Jackson-Hope
[/one_half]
Details
Saturday the 15th of April
AAMI Park Melbourne
7:40pm
Ref: Glen Jackson
AR1: Brendon Pickerill
AR2: The Hoff
TMO: George Ayoub
