Month: March 2019

The Sunwolves have made five changes in personnel for their final Super Rugby clash of the season, against the Reds in Brisbane on Friday.

Two of those are in the backs where full-back Ryuji Noguchi and right wing Semisi Masirewa are replaced by Yoshikazu Fujita and Harumichi Tatekawa, which has caused a reshuffle for Jason Emery and Michael Little, who make the move to full-back and outside centre respectively.

In the forward pack there is a return to action for number eight for Willie Britz, who takes over from Kazuki Himeno, while Wimpie van der Walt and Yusuke Niwai come in at lock and hooker for Grant Hattingh and Jaba Bregvadze as the Sunwolves look to sign off with an away win.

Sunwolves: 15 Jason Emery, 14 Yoshikazu Fujita, 13 Michael Little, 12 Harumichi Tatekawa, 11 Akihito Yamada, 10 Hayden Parker, 9 Yutaka Nagare (c), 8 Willie Britz, 7 Edward Quirk, 6 Michael Leitch, 5 Wimpie van der Walt, 4 James Moore, 3 Takuma Asahara, 2 Yusuke Niwai, 1 Craig Millar
Replacements: 16 Jaba Bregvadze, 17 Keita Inagaki, 18 Hencus van Wyk, 19 Kazuki Himeno, 20 Rahboni Warren-Vosayaco, 21 Fumiaki Tanaka, 22 Rikiya Matsuda, 23 Ryoto Nakamura

Date: Friday, July 13
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Kick-off: 19:45 local (10:45 BST, 09:45 GMT)
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe
Assistant Referees: Damon Murphy, Jordan Way
TMO: Damien Mitchelmore

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Harlequins have announced that skills coach Collin Osborne has left the club for personal reasons after 13 years with the Premiership side.

Osborne originally joined Harlequins coaching staff in 1996 at the start of the professional era and played a key role in helping introduce the standards of training and commitment required for the team to compete effectively in the changed rugby environment.

His experience was to prove invaluable when the RFU introduced academies in 2002 and Harlequins was successful in being granted an RFU Academy licence. Osborne was instrumental in attracting a group of talented young players to the Academy that have gone on to contribute greatly to Harlequins and achieve international status with England.

Eight seasons ago he was appointed Skills Coach to the first team squad and worked with the players in an era that was the most successful in the club’s professional history.

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Samu Manoa is the latest player to put pen to paper at Cardiff Blues as John Mulvihill adds further international quality to his squad.

Following the signings of Dmitri Arhip and Jason Harries, plus a season-long loan to bring Rory Thornton to the Welsh capital, Manoa has handed the Blues another major boost.

The USA international arrives in Wales from Toulon, where he has made 50 appearances, having previously spent four seasons at Northampton Saints.

During his time at Franklin’s Gardens, Manoa established himself as one of the most devastating players in the northern hemisphere.

He won both the Premiership and Challenge Cup in 2014, when he also picked up Northampton’s Player, Players’ Player and Supporters’ Player of the year awards.

Standing at 6ft 7ins and tipping the scales at 20 stone, Manoa brings a formidable physical presence to the pack and provides further competition for the number eight jersey.

Mulvihill said: “This is another significant signal of intent as we build towards the new season and a return to the European Champions Cup.

“Samu is a big, physical man, who will compete with Nick Williams for the number eight jersey and bring an abundance of experience to our pack.

“It is important that we take some of the work-load off Nick and Samu will work in tandem with him, ensuing that we have a real physical presence for the full 80-minutes.

“We’re now looking forward to getting him over here and seeing him in a Cardiff Blues jersey at the Arms Park.”

Manoa, who plays international rugby alongside Blaine Scully, will arrive in Cardiff later this month and is relishing the challenge that lies ahead.

Having spent three seasons at Toulon, he is looking forward to joining his new team-mates and moving his family to the Welsh capital.

Manoa said: “I’m really looking forward to the next chapter and getting stuck in at Cardiff Blues.

“They had great season last year, winning the European Challenge Cup and sealing a return to the Champions Cup, so it is a great time to join.

“I have spoken to both John and Blaine at length, and have heard nothing but good things about the set-up at Cardiff Blues, the city itself and the region.

“My family is the most important thing to me and hearing about how well players and their families are taken care of at the Blues was a big lure. If they are happy, I am happy and can be at my best.

“So I’m really excited about moving them over to Cardiff and then meeting my new teammates, competing for places and contributing to the Blues as they look to build on the success of last season.”

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Connacht have announced the signing of experienced loose forward Colby Fainga’a from Australian Super Rugby side the Melbourne Rebels.

The 27-year-old made his Super Rugby debut playing for the Brumbies when Andy Friend was their head coach in 2010 and went on to play every game for the club in the 2011 season.

In 2014 Fainga’a joined the Rebels and in his first season was awarded the highest honour in the club when he was named the Players’ Player of the year. This achievement was followed by his appointment as co-captain of the Melbourne Rising side in 2015.

The versatile back-row has gone on to make 100 Super Rugby appearances, the latest coming in the Rebels clash with the Reds last weekend.

At international level, Fainga’a captained the Australian U20s side in 2011 and made seven appearances that season.

Commenting on Connacht’s latest signing, Connacht head coach Friend said: “We are delighted to announce the signing of Colby Fainga’a ahead of the new season.

“When I was head coach at the Brumbies, Colby signed his first professional contract with the club, so I have an in-depth knowledge of the qualities he brings.

“With 100 Super Rugby appearances under his belt, Colby brings massive experience. In addition to his versatility on the field he has a fantastic attitude off it and will be a big addition to Connacht in the seasons ahead.”

Fainga’a will join up with the squad at the conclusion of the Rebels’ Super Rugby season.

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Crusaders boss Scott Robertson has made six changes to his starting XV to face the Blues in their Super Rugby derby in Christchurch on Saturday.

Of the four changes in the forwards, the champions welcome the return of prop Tim Perry from the hamstring injury he sustained prior to the June international break.

At tighthead, Michael Alaalatoa moves from the bench to the starting side for this game.

Quinten Strange will partner captain Sam Whitelock at lock, with Scott Barrett rested this week. In the loose forwards, Jordan Taufua will start in the number six jersey, and Pete Samu comes in to the reserves.

The only changes in the backs will see Mitchell Drummond wear the number nine jersey this week and Bryn Hall take a spot on the replacements bench. David Havili will also sit out this game, and has been replaced at full-back by Israel Dagg.

On the reserves bench, Otago hooker Sam Anderson-Heather joins the squad and could earn his first Crusaders cap this week. Anderson-Heather will provide cover for Andrew Makalio in the absence of Codie Taylor, who is another All Black rested for this match.

Crusaders: 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Seta Tamanivalu, 13 Jack Goodhue, 12 Ryan Crotty, 11 George Bridge, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 9 Mitchell Drummond, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Matt Todd, 6 Jordan Taufua, 5 Sam Whitelock (c), 4 Quinten Strange, 3 Michael Alaalatoa, 2 Andrew Makalio, 1 Tim Perry
Replacements: 16 Sam Anderson-Heather, 17 Wyatt Crockett, 18 Donald Brighouse, 19 Luke Romano, 20 Pete Samu, 21 Bryn Hall, 22 Mitchell Hunt, 23 Manasa Mataele

Date: Saturday, July 14
Venue: AMI Stadium, Christchurch
Kick-off: 19:35 local (08:35 BST, 07:35 GMT)
Referee: Federico Anselmi
Assistant Referees: Jamie Nutbrown, Mike Fraser
TMO: Shane McDermott

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Super Rugby’s Round 19 action gets underway in Hamilton on Friday when the Chiefs host the Hurricanes in what should be a thrilling New Zealand derby.

Although both these teams are already assured of a place in the quarter-finals, there will be no letting up from either side in a bid to claim victory which will also secure the winners bragging rights.

Going by overall competition points, this is sure to go down to the wire and be full of excitement, with the Hurricanes and the Chiefs in second and third place of the New Zealand Conference respectively.

The Hurricanes need to win, get a bonus point or avoid a heavy defeat against their hosts to guarantee a home quarter-final the following week.

Both these sides have entertained throughout the season and it is no surprise that they are amongst the leading attacking teams in the tournament, with the Hurricanes fourth for most tries scored (62) this year while the Chiefs are sixth after crossing the whitewash on 56 occasions.

The Chiefs have also made the second most clean breaks (222) with the Hurricanes fourth (186) in that department as well, while the men from Hamilton have beaten the fourth most defenders (379) with the Wellington-based franchise next best with 350 in that category.

Chiefs head coach Colin Cooper says his side are ready to put on a show for the home crowd but expects a tough challenge from the Hurricanes.

“We’re going out there to put on a great performance, it could be our last game at home,” he said.

“We want to make sure that wherever there is an opportunity, that we grab it. We look forward to playing our own game, and are also aware of what the Hurricanes bring.

“They showed against the Blues how good they are off the set piece – and we’ve done some work around our set piece defence – but with ball in hand, our focus is on what we can do.”

The last time the teams met: The Hurricanes claimed a 25-13 victory in a Round Seven clash in Wellington earlier this year which ended a two-match losing streak against the Chiefs. Beauden Barrett, Ben Lam and Ngani Laumape scored tries for the Hurricanes and Jordie Barrett contributed 10 points courtesy of two penalties and two conversions. Lachlan Boshier scored the Chiefs’ only try and their other points came via a conversion and two penalties from Damian McKenzie.

Players to watch:

For Chiefs: After a six-week stint on the sidelines due to injury, All Blacks enforcer Brodie Retallick will be raring to go when he runs out for this encounter. Retallick is the prototype of the modern day lock, who usually gets through a good shift on attack and defence while his line-out work is amongst the best in the business. The 27-year-old will be keen to hit the ground running in this match with his return a shot in the arm for the Chiefs ahead of the quarter-finals.

For Hurricanes: After being dropped for last weekend’s clash over the Blues, Ben Lam will be a man on a mission as he returns to the Wellington-based franchise’s starting line-up. Lam is currently the tournament’s joint top try-scorer – with Waratahs wing Taqele Naiyaravoro – and he will be determined to showcase his finishing ability in a bid to cement his place in the starting line-up for the play-offs.

Team news: Chiefs head coach Colin Cooper has made several alterations to his starting line-up for this fixture.

In the forwards, Sam Prattley gets his first start after effective performances off the replacements bench for most of the season. Brodie Retallick comes back into the number four jersey after six weeks on the injured list, and Lachlan Boshier gets a start on the blindside flank after returning via the bench last week.

Rounding out the impactful loose trio are Mitch Karpik and Jesse Parete.

In the back-line, Marty McKenzie comes into the number ten jersey, with Cooper confident in his ability to drive the game. McKenzie takes over from his younger brother Damian and will form a half-back partnership with Brad Weber.

The only other change to the run-on side which faced the Brumbies last weekend sees Anton Lienert-Brown returning at outside centre in place of Sean Wainui.

Meanwhile, the Hurricanes have made minimal tweaks to their starting XV. Overall, head coach Chris Boyd has made just three changes to the team which faced the Blues in the last round.

Prop Jeff Toomaga-Allen is promoted from the bench along with lock Michael Fatialofa in changes to the pack while the competition’s leading try scorer Ben Lam also returns.

Lam is the only change to a backline which produced six tries against the Blues, including a club record equaling four from inside cehtre Ngani Laumape who will again form a midfield combination with Wes Goosen.

Boyd has also made a few tweaks to the bench where Chris Eves, Reed Prinsep and Finlay Christie all return after a week away.

Form: Both these teams are already into the quarter-finals with the Hurricanes in fourth position and the Chiefs fifth in the overall standings.

The Chiefs have won 10 and lost five of their 15 matches and have been in fine form since returning to action after the June Test break and beat the Highlanders and Brumbies on successive weekends.

Meanwhile, the Hurricanes have won 11 out of 15 matches and lost four times this year. Last weekend, they claimed an impressive 42-24 victory over the Blues in Wellington which ended a three-match losing streak following a defeat against the Brumbies – in Round 18 – and losses to the Highlanders and Crusaders before the June international break.

Prediction: The Chiefs have rested most of their first-choice players which means the Hurricanes should be victorious. Hurricanes to win by eight points.

Previous results:

2018: Hurricanes won 25-13 in Wellington
2017: Chiefs won 17-14 in Wellington
2017: Chiefs won 26-18 in Hamilton
2016: Hurricanes won 25-9 in Wellington
2016: Chiefs won 28-27 in Wellington
2015: Hurricanes won 21-13 in New Plymouth
2015: Hurricanes won 22-18 in Wellington
2014: Chiefs won 24-16 in Hamilton

The teams:

Chiefs: 15 Solomon Alaimalo, 14 Toni Pulu, 13 Anton Lienert-Brown, 12 Charlie Ngatai, 11 Shaun Stevenson, 10 Marty McKenzie, 9 Brad Weber, 8 Jesse Parete, 7 Mitchell Karpik, 6 Lachlan Boshier, 5 Tyler Ardron, 4 Brodie Retallick, 3 Angus Ta’avao, 2 Liam Polwart, 1 Sam Prattley
Replacements: 16 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 17 Karl Tu’inukuafe, 18 Jeff Thwaites, 19 Michael Allardice, 20 Liam Messam, 21 Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, 22 Tiaan Falcon, 23 Johnny Faauli

Hurricanes: 15 Jordie Barrett, 14 Nehe Milner-Skudder, 13 Wes Goosen, 12 Ngani Laumape, 11 Ben Lam, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 TJ Perenara, 8 Blade Thomson, 7 Sam Henwood, 6 Brad Shields (c), 5 Sam Lousi, 4 Michael Fatialofa, 3 Jeff Toomaga-Allen, 2 Ricky Riccitelli, 1 Toby Smith
Replacements: 16 James O’Reilly, 17 Chris Eves, 18 Ben May, 19 Gareth Evans, 20 Reed Prinsep, 21 Finlay Christie, 22 Ihaia West, 23 Julian Savea

Date: Friday, July 13
Venue: FMG Stadium, Hamilton
Kick-off: 19:35 local (08:35 BST, 07:35 GMT)
Referee: Mike Fraser
Assistant Referees: Richard Kelly, James Doleman
TMO: Ben Skeen

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The Reds will be looking for revenge and to end their season on a high when they take on the Sunwolves at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Friday.

The Sunwolves romped to a 63-28 victory the last time the sides met – back in Round 13 earlier this season. Having just avenged their loss to the Rebels, the Reds will be keen to go back-to-back for the first time since Round Five.

Thus, the Queensland side are on a high coming into the match and will be difficult to stop considering their impressive record at home. They will be delighted to have possibly played a part in preventing the Rebels from making the play-offs after that morale-boosting, redemptive win last weekend.

That does not, however, cover the cracks of what has been another disastrous season for the Reds. But at least they can end it on a positive note here.

It is likely to be another high-scoring encounter, as it usually is when the Sunwolves are involved. There has been an average of 84 points scored per game over the Sunwolves’ last three fixtures.

A much improved team – the Japanese side also boast the best goalkicking success rate in the competition (88 percent), 13 percentage points greater than that of the Reds. Hayden Parker is in the form of his life but you still never know which Sunwolves side are going to turn up on the day.

But there is no doubt they are peaking towards the end of the season. After losing their first nine, they have won three of their last six – not bad at all – and an indicator that they might finally be settling into Super Rugby.

Come Saturday, the Sunwolves will be looking to lay down a marker to the doubters that they belong in the competition as the regular-season draws to its conclusion.

The last time the teams met: The Sunwolves chalked up their first victory of the season with a 63-28 victory in an entertaining encounter in Tokyo back in Round 13. A Hosea Saumaki hat-trick and a new franchise record of 38 points from Hayden Parker masterminded the win as Parker also got himself on the try column along with Grant Hattingh and a penalty try. The Reds dotted down through Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Angus Scott-Young and Filipo Daugunu.

Players to watch:

For Reds: Keep an eye out for Liam Wright, who is firmly establishing himself as George Smith’s successor in the fetcher role. Smith was full of praise when asked about Wright earlier in the week, saying what gives the youngster the edge at the breakdown is the mobility and flexibility in his hips. Expect Wright to come up with a timely pilfer every so often to win back possession for his side.

For Sunwolves: The Reds need to keep an eye on Jason Emery, who has been handed the number 15 jersey this weekend. Emery possesses plenty of gas and his found his try-scoring touch in recent times. The former Highlanders back may be short in stature, but he makes up for that with powerful upper body strength, which along with his low centre of gravity, makes it hard for opposition defenders to bring him down.

Team news: Reds head coach Brad Thorn has made two changes to his starting line-up.

Veteran flanker George Smith was unable to recover from a knee injury in time for this Friday’s match, meaning he will be forced to watch from the sidelines before heading offshore to take up a contract with Bristol Bears in England.

The one change to the starting pack sees versatile forward Lukhan Tui return to the starting side in the second-row, with Kane Douglas dropping out of the matchday 23.

In the backs, youngster Tate McDermott has earned his first Super Rugby start at scrum-half, with Moses Sorovi shifting to the bench.

The Reds have also made a number of changes to the reserves, opting for six forwards and two backs.

Australia U20 lock Angus Blyth is in line to make his potential Queensland and Super Rugby debut, after being brought onto the bench, taking the place freed up by Tui’s promotion.

Adam Korczyk has also found a spot in the matchday 23 for the first time since Round 13, when the Reds and Sunwolves last met.

Utility back Teti Tela from Brisbane club Souths is also in line for a potential Queensland and Super Rugby debut, having been named on the bench for the second week in a row.

Meanwhile, the Sunwolves have made five changes in personnel for their final Super Rugby clash of the season.

Two of those are in the backs where full-back Ryuji Noguchi and right wing Semisi Masirewa are replaced by Yoshikazu Fujita and Harumichi Tatekawa, which has caused a reshuffle for Jason Emery and Michael Little, who make the move to full-back and outside centre respectively.

In the forward pack there is a return to action for number eight for Willie Britz, who takes over from Kazuki Himeno, while Wimpie van der Walt and Yusuke Niwai come in at lock and hooker for Grant Hattingh and Jaba Bregvadze.

Form: The Reds arrested a five-match losing streak with victory over rivals the Rebels last weekend. In fact, prior to victory last weekend, they had won just one of their previous ten. Brad Thorn’s men are now looking for back-to-back wins for the first time since Round Five.

After losing their opening nine fixtures, the Sunwolves have won three of their last six. It is the best form they have been in since they entered the competition in 2016.

Prediction: The home side to avenge their Round 13 defeat and finish the season strong here in front of their home support. Reds by 20.

Previous results:

2018: Sunwolves won 63-28 in Tokyo
2016: The Reds won 35-25 in Brisbane

The teams:

Reds: 15 Jono Lance, 14 Filipo Daugunu, 13 Jordan Petaia, 12 Duncan Paia’aua, 11 Eto Nabuli, 10 Hamish Stewart, 9 Tate McDermott, 8 Scott Higginbotham (c), 7 Liam Wright, 6 Caleb Timu, 5 Lukhan Tui, 4 Izack Rodda, 3 Taniela Tupou, 2 Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 1 JP Smith
Replacements: 16 Alex Mafi, 17 Harry Hoopert, 18 Ruan Smith, 19 Angus Blyth, 20 Angus Scott-Young, 21 Adam Korczyk, 22 Moses Sorovi, 23 Teti Tela

Sunwolves: 15 Jason Emery, 14 Yoshikazu Fujita, 13 Michael Little, 12 Harumichi Tatekawa, 11 Akihito Yamada, 10 Hayden Parker, 9 Yutaka Nagare (c), 8 Willie Britz, 7 Edward Quirk, 6 Michael Leitch, 5 Wimpie van der Walt, 4 James Moore, 3 Takuma Asahara, 2 Yusuke Niwai, 1 Craig Millar
Replacements: 16 Jaba Bregvadze, 17 Keita Inagaki, 18 Hencus van Wyk, 19 Kazuki Himeno, 20 Rahboni Warren-Vosayaco, 21 Fumiaki Tanaka, 22 Rikiya Matsuda, 23 Ryoto Nakamura

Date: Friday, July 13
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Kick-off: 19:45 local (10:45 BST, 09:45 GMT)
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe
Assistant Referees: Damon Murphy, Jordan Way
TMO: Damien Mitchelmore

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Blues head coach Tana Umaga has made just one alteration to his starting line-up to take on the Crusaders in their Super Rugby derby in Christchurch on Saturday.

The only change from the pack which lost to the Hurricanes in Wellington last week is a start for Ben Nee-Nee after an injury to Matiaha Martin ruled him out, while the backline remains the same.

The Blues will aim to give long-serving star Jerome Kaino a fitting send-off in his final game for the Auckland-based club.

Kaino, who heads to France after the season, will play his 139th game for the Blues, to sit second on the all-time Blues list behind Keven Mealamu.

Blues: 15 Matt Duffie, 14 Melani Nanai, 13 Michael Collins, 12 Rieko Ioane, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Stephen Perofeta, 9 Augustine Pulu (c), 8 Akira Ioane, 7 Blake Gibson, 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Ben Nee-Nee, 4 Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, 3 Ofa Tuungafasi, 2 Matt Moulds, 1 Alex Hodgman
Replacements: 16 Ross Wright, 17 Pauliasi Manu, 18 Sione Mafileo, 19 Jacob Pierce, 20 Murphy Taramai, 21 Sam Nock, 22 Bryn Gatland, 23 Tamati Tua

Date: Saturday, July 14
Venue: AMI Stadium, Christchurch
Kick-off: 19:35 local (08:35 BST, 07:35 GMT)
Referee: Federico Anselmi
Assistant Referees: Jamie Nutbrown, Mike Fraser
TMO: Shane McDermott

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Brumbies head coach Dan McKellar has made two changes to his 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 in the playoffs.

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 back-row.

The backline remains unchanged for the sixth straight game having crossed for a combined total of 15 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 (eight tries) and Henry Speight (seven 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.

Brumbies: 15 Tom Banks, 14 Henry Speight, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 12 Kyle Godwin, 11 Andrew Muirhead, 10 Christian Lealiifano, 9 Joe Powell, 8 Isi Naisarani, 7 David Pocock, 6 Blake Enever, 5 Richie Arnold, 4 Rory Arnold, 3 Allan Alaalatoa, 2 Folau Fainga’a, 1 Scott Sio
Replacements: 16 Connal McInerney, 17 Nic Mayhew, 18 Leslie Leuluaialii-Makin, 19 Sam Carter, 20 Lachlan McCaffrey, 21 Matt Lucas, 22 Wharenui Hawera, 23 Lausii Taliauli

Date: Saturday, July 14
Venue: Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Kick-off: 19:45 local (10:45 BST, 09:45 GMT)
Referee: Angus Gardner
Assistant Referees: Will Houston, James Leckie
TMO: George Ayoub

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Waratahs head coach Daryl Gibson has named an unchanged line-up to face the Brumbies in the final regular season match at Allianz Stadium on Saturday.

Gibson says he felt it would be unfair to drop anyone after an impressive performance last weekend against the Sunwolves.

“Part of our strategy is to try and keep combinations together, and it’s up to those players to really earn it through their performances. As a coaching team we feel that they are doing that and deserve their spots,” he said.

Gibson expects a typical Australian derby, adding: “For both sides there’s real incentive there on the outcome of the game. The Brumbies need a bonus point win to have a chance to quality and for us the real carrot of knowing if you progress in this tournament of giving yourself the opportunity through having a home semi-final potentially.”

When asked about a potential quarter-final opponent, Gibson said: “We haven’t looked beyond this game. We know there’s a lot riding on this fixture and we want to perform. The finals series will take care of itself and we will just wait and see who we get.”

Waratahs: 15 Israel Folau, 14 Cam Clark, 13 Curtis Rona, 12 Kurtley Beale, 11 Taqele Naiyaravoro, 10 Bernard Foley (c), 9 Nick Phipps, 8 Michael Wells, 7 Will Miller, 6 Ned Hanigan, 5 Rob Simmons, 4 Jed Holloway, 3 Sekope Kepu, 2 Damien Fitzpatrick, 1 Tom Robertson
Replacements: 16 Tolu Latu, 17 Harry Johnson-Holmes, 18 Paddy Ryan, 19 Tom Staniforth, 20 Brad Wilkin, 21 Jake Gordon, 22 Alex Newsome, 23 Bryce Hegarty

Date: Saturday, July 14
Venue: Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Kick-off: 19:45 local (10:45 BST, 09:45 GMT)
Referee: Angus Gardner
Assistant Referees: Will Houston, James Leckie
TMO: George Ayoub

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