Brumbies name unchanged backline for clash with Highlanders in Dunedin
Looking to make it two wins on the trot in Super Rugby Pacific, coach Stephen Larkham has named an unchanged backline ahead of the Brumbies’ clash with the Highlanders in Dunedin.
Captain Ryan Lonergan will partner Wallaby Noah Lolesio in the halves, while Tamati Tua and Len Ikitau will combine in the midfield.
Speedsters Corey Toole and Andy Muirhead will line up on the left and right wings respectively, while former NRL playmaker Tom Wright will run out in the No. 15 jersey once again.
But then there’s the forwards, and there have been some changes. Wallaby Blake Schoupp and Billy Pollard join Sosefo Kautai in the front row.
Cadeyrn Neville has been named for his first start of the 2024 season, with the towering lock set to join Nick Frost in the second row. Neville has been out of action since suffering a facial injury in the Brumbies’ defeat to the Chiefs in Super Round.
Joining Tom Hooper and Rob Valetini in the backrow is Jahrome Brown. Brown has been promoted into the First XV for his start.
Moving onto the bench, there’s plenty of experience there. Wallabies Lachlan Lonergan and James Slipper will both come off the pine, while Rhys Van Nek is another player to watch out for.
Darcy Swain and Rory Scott will don the No. 19 and 20 jumpers, while former LA Giltinis and NSW Waratahs halfback Harrison Goddard will look to make an impact.
The final two players in the Brumbies’ matchday 23 are Declan Meredith and Oliver Sapsford.
After returning to winning ways with a hard-fought win over the Western Force in Round Three, the Brumbies will look to keep the good times rolling against the Highlanders at Forsyth Barr Stadium.
This match is scheduled to get underway at 2:35 pm AEDT on Saturday.
Brumbies team to take on Highlanders
- Blake Schoupp
- Billy Pollard
- Sosefo Kautai
- Nick Frost
- Cadeyrn Neville
- Tom Hooper
- Jahrome Brown
- Rob Valetini
- Ryan Lonergan (c)
- Noah Lolesio
- Corey Toole
- Tamati Tua
- Len Ikitau
- Andy Muirhead
- Tom Wright
Replacements
- Lachlan Lonergan
- James Slipper
- Rhys Van Nek
- Darcy Swain
- Rory Scott
- Harrison Goddard
- Declan Meredith
- Oliver Sapsford
Latest Comments
Who got the benefits out of Schmidt, Lowe, Aki, and Gibson Park?
Go to commentsI’m all for speeding up the game. But can we be certain that the slowness of the game contributed to fans walking out? I’m not so sure. Super rugby largely suffered from most fans only being able to, really, follow the games played in their own time zone. So at least a third of the fan base wasn’t engaged at any point in time. As a Saffer following SA teams in the URC - I now watch virtually every European game played on the weekend. In SR, I wouldn’t be bothered to follow the games being played on the other side of the world, at weird hours, if my team wasn’t playing. I now follow the whole tournament and not just the games in my time zone. Second, with New Zealand teams always winning. It’s like formula one. When one team dominates, people lose interest. After COVID, with SA leaving and Australia dipping in form, SR became an even greater one horse race. Thats why I think Japan’s league needs to get in the mix. The international flavor of those teams could make for a great spectacle. But surely if we believe that shaving seconds off lost time events in rugby is going to draw fans back, we should be shown some figures that supports this idea before we draw any major conclusions. Where are the stats that shows these changes have made that sort of impact? We’ve measured down to the average no. Of seconds per game. Where the measurement of the impact on the fanbase? Does a rugby “fan” who lost interest because of ball in play time suddenly have a revived interest because we’ve saved or brought back into play a matter of seconds or a few minutes each game? I doubt it. I don’t thinks it’s even a noticeable difference to be impactful. The 20 min red card idea. Agreed. Let’s give it a go. But I think it’s fairer that the player sent off is substituted and plays no further part in the game as a consequence.
Go to comments