The ACT Brumbies will host the Western Force at Marist College, Canberra in a final hit out before the season.
The ACT Brumbies have made six changes to face the Western Force at Marist College on Friday (2pm kick-off) in the club's second Trial match of 2025.
Lachlan Lonergan, Rhys van Nek, Tom Hooper, Ryan Lonergan, Noah Lolesio and Corey Toole come into the side, having toured Europe with either the Wallabies or Australia A before Christmas.
Hooker Billy Pollard also comes onto the bench having missed the 36-36 draw with the NSW Waratahs in Bowral on Saturday.
Head coach Stephen Larkham expressed a desire to keep some consistency in selection, as the team gears up for the opening Super Rugby Pacific match in Suva next Saturday against the Fijian Drua.
“We were well organised against the Waratahs and our performance was a good start to what we’re trying to achieve this year, so we wanted to keep the bulk of that starting lineup from the outset again on Friday,” Larkham said.
“Once again, we’ll be making sure that minutes are spread throughout the team to ensure everyone gets some time out on the pitch.
“Although we haven’t seen the Force yet this pre-season, they’ve made some really strong additions to their squad, and we won’t be taking them lightly.
“As per the Waratahs game last week though, we haven’t prepared anything specific for the opposition, we have been concentrating on ourselves and putting patterns in place for the season ahead.”
The match will be held at local school Marist College, offering students at the school the opportunity to watch some world-class rugby action right on their doorstep.
Marist has produced some outstanding Brumbies players, including the likes of Joe Roff, Jon McGrath, Tom Cusack and current players Bowron and Rory Scott, with the latter starting from kick off on Friday.
And Larkham highlighted the importance of playing in front of young people in the local area, showcasing the Brumbies and the sport of rugby to the local community.
“Marist College is an outstanding rugby school and has long been established in terms of bringing talent through to play for not only the Brumbies, but also the Wallabies,” Larkham said.
“It’s really important that we continue to connect with the school. We are making a concerted effort to support the rugby community in Canberra, so it’s fantastic to be able to play one of our Trial matches in front of some of our biggest supporters.”
ACT Brumbies Starting XV
- Blake Schoupp
- Lachlan Lonergan
- Rhys van Nek
- Lachlan Shaw
- Tom Hooper
- Tuaina Taii-Tualima
- Luke Reimer
- Rory Scott
- Ryan Lonergan
- Noah Lolesio
- Corey Toole
- David Feliuai
- Hudson Creighton
- Ollie Sapsford
- Andy Muirhead
Replacements:
Billy Pollard
Lington Ieli
Feao Fotuaika
Cadeyrn Neville
Lachlan Hooper
Jack Condon
Judah Saumaisue
Harrison Goddard
Declan Meredith
Jack Debreczeni
Austin Anderson
Kadin Pritchard
Kye Oates
Shane Wilcox
The Western Force have named a 29-player team list for Friday’s pre-season trial game against the ACT Brumbies in Canberra, headlined by several newcomers and players returning from injury.
The Force group will fly on Wednesday to face the Brumbies from 11am WST on Friday at Marist College in Canberra.
Last Friday, the Force played an internal trial game, with the Brumbies’ clash representing the side’s final tune-up prior to their Round 1 Super Rugby Pacific encounter with Moana Pasifika at HBF Park on Saturday 15 February.
Harry Johnson-Holmes (Achilles), Reesjan Pasitoa (shoulder) and Atu Moli (hip) will all return from long-term injuries.
Johnson-Holmes is among seven new signings who’ll start, alongside Nic Dolly, Darcy Swain, Nick Champion de Crespigny, Vaiolini Ekuasi, Divad Palu and Mac Grealy.
Wallaby Tom Robertson returns to the front row after missing the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific due to an ACL injury and on sabbatical at Oxford University. He’ll be alongside new additions Johnson-Holmes and Dolly.
Lock Swain will return to Canberra to face his former Brumbies teammates for the first time since his switch to the west. He’ll partner Jeremy Williams in the second row.
In the back row, homegrown Wallaby Carlo Tizzano starts at openside flanker alongside Champion de Crespigny and Ekuasi.
Wallabies veteran Nic White and reigning Nathan Sharpe medalist Ben Donaldson will be the starting half-backs. Newly-capped Wallaby Harry Potter and Australia U20s rep Palu will start on the wings with Grealy – who joined in the off-season from the Queensland Reds - at full-back.
Wallaby Hamish Stewart will start in the midfield alongside Pasitoa who returns after he missed all of the 2023 season with an ACL injury followed by elbow and shoulder issues in 2024.
The Force have named 14 players on the bench for the game, with five-cap All Blacks prop Atu Moli among them following off-season hip surgery.
Former Nathan Sharpe medalist Kane Koteka will start as a reserve after 18 months outside of the Force program. New signings Brandon Paenga-Amosa and Sio Tomkinson will start off the bench.
Western Force Starting XV
- Harry Johnson-Holmes
- Nic Dolly
- Tom Robertson
- Jeremy Williams
- Darcy Swain
- Nick Champion de Crespigny
- Carlo Tizzano
- Vaiolini Ekuasi
- Nic White
- Ben Donaldson
- Harry Potter
- Hamish Stewart
- Reesjan Pasitoa
- Divad Palu
- Mac Grealy
Reserves;
Tom Horton
Brandon Paenga-Amosa
Marley Pearce
Atu Moli
Tiaan Tauakipulu
Reed Prinsep
Sam Carter
Will Harris
Kane Koteka
Issak Fines-Leleiwasa
Max Burey
Ronan Leahy
Sio Tomkinson
George Poolman
