Plus500 Brumbies Head Coach Dan McKellar has made two changes to the starting XV for the trip to Sydney to tackle the Waratahs this weekend.
McKellar has selected Scott Sio at Loosehead prop, and paired Richie Arnold with twin brother Rory for the first time in Super Rugby, as the Brumbies go looking for the bonus-point win that would give them a chance of playing Finals football.
Sio will team up with fellow Wallabies international Allan Alaalatoa either side of the impressive hooker Folau Fainga’a in the heart of the engine room in what is sure to be a colossal front row battle with the club’s perennial rivals from New South Wales.
Blake Enever shifts from lock to flanker to compensate for the inclusion of Richie Arnold, with Tom Cusack unavailable, after the flanker suffered a head-knock in Hamilton against the Chiefs in Round 18.
David Pocock and Isi Naisarani join Enever in the backrow.
The backline remains unchanged for the sixth straight game having crossed for a combined total of fifteen tries in that time-frame between them.
Joe Powell and Christian Lealiifano will continue to provide quick and decisive ball with the centre pairing of Kyle Godwin and Tevita Kuridrani creating ample space for the back three.
Leading scorers Tom Banks (8 tries) and Henry Speight (7 tries) are joined by Andrew Muirhead who has crossed for three tries in his last four outings, creating plenty of problems for opposition defences with his pace and electric footwork.
Co-captain Sam Carter meanwhile is recalled to the squad and is on the replacements bench where he is joined by prop Nic Mayhew who started the match in New Zealand, hooker Connal McInerney, prop Leslie Leuluaialii-Makin and flanker Lachlan McCaffrey in a 5/3 split.
Matt Lucas, Wharenui Hawera and Lausii Taliauli are named as the backline finishers as the Brumbies aim to get the win that would see them retain the Dan Vickerman Cup.
The Plus500 Brumbies match against the Waratahs will be screened live by Fox Sports with kick-off at 19:45 (AEST).
Plus, Brumbies members can gain free entry into Allianz Stadium by scanning their membership card at the gate.
TEAM
Scott SIO
Folau FAINGA’A
Allan ALAALATOA
Rory ARNOLD
Richie ARNOLD
Blake ENEVER
David POCOCK
Isi NAISARANI
Joe POWELL
Christian LEALIIFANO
Andrew MUIRHEAD
Kyle GODWIN
Tevita KURIDRANI
Henry SPEIGHT
Tom BANKS
REPLACEMENTS
Connal MCINERNEY
Nic MAYHEW
Leslie LEULUAIALII-MAKIN
Sam CARTER
Lachlan MCCAFFREY
Matt LUCAS
Wharenui HAWERA
Lausii TALIAULI
MATCH DETAILS
Super Rugby Round 19
Saturday 14 July 2018
Waratahs v Plus500 Brumbies(Allianz Stadium, Sydney, 19:45)
