The Brumbies Runners will play their second match of the season this weekend when they travel to Albury to meet the challenge of the Rebels at Greenfield Oval on Saturday afternoon.
Joint Head Coaches Dan Hooper and Ruaidhri Murphy will take a strong looking squad to Victoria for the clash as they Runners look to build on the excellent performance they showed in defeating the Auckland Contenders at David Campese Field in late February.
The trio that began that match in the front row continue, with Connal McInerney flanked by the bulk and scrummaging skills of young props Vunipola Fifita and Tom Ross whilst Darcy Swain and Blake Enever provide the ballast and size in the second-row pairing.
The pack is rounded out by the trio in the backrow, where youngsters Rory Scott at number eight and Jack Farrell at openside flanker, link with Gungahlin Eagles’ Jahrome Brown, who was in excellent form against the touring New Zealanders.
Behind the scrum, fifty-times capped Super Rugby scrumhalf Matt Lucas will dictate the tempo of the game, likely to be played at high-speed and with rapid-fire service to release a backline marshalled by playmaker Jordan Jackson-Hope.
Exciting prodigies Bayley Kuenzle and Len Ikitau are paired at centre with the back three comprising the speedy and elusive Mack Hansen, scorer of a brace against Auckland in Queanbeyan, the raw power of Lausii Taliauli and the composure of young fullback Noah Lolesio.
There’s a distinctly youthful look to the replacements bench with a plethora of youngsters such as the promising Will Goddard, Seamus Smith and ;lachlan Osborne, named along with TP Luteru, the venerable Wests hooker.
The Plus500 Brumbies would like to thank the Albury Steamers Rugby Club for their assistance in hosting this match. Admission to the fixture in Albury is free.
TEAM
1. Vunipola FIFITA
2. Connal MCINERNEY
3. Tom ROSS
4. Darcy SWAIN
5. Blake ENEVER
6. Jack FARRELL
7. Jahrome BROWN
8. Rory SCOTT
9. Matt LUCAS
10. Jordan JACKSON-HOPE
11. Mack HANSEN
12. Bayley KUENZLE
13. Len IKITAU
14. Lausii TALIAULI
15. Noah LOLESIO
REPLACEMENTS
16. TP LUTERU
17. Isileli FA
18. Max BODE
19. Ben LOVE
20. Lachlan OSBORNE
21. Tom HOOPER
22. Seamus SMITH
23. Will GODDARD
24. Billy CARBERRY
MATCH DETAILS
Saturday 9 March 2019
Rebels v Brumbies Runners
(Greenfield Oval, Albury, 14:15)
