All Blacks back George Bridge
will make his first start for the Western Force when they take on the
Queensland Reds in their Super Rugby Pacific pre-season trial match
this afternoon.
Bridge, the former Crusaders try machine
who spent the past three seasons in France with Montpellier, has been
named to start at outside-centre.
Los Pumas lock Franco
Molina, ex-Queensland Reds front-rower Sef Fa’agase, Wallabies
winger Darby Lancaster and Perth-born Wanneroo junior Nathan Hastie
have also been named in the starting XV, offering the Sea of Blue
their first glimpse of the new recruits.
The Force have
named an extended 38-player line-up for the game, which will be
played across three 30-minute periods, enabling the wider group to
get game time.
Fa’agase will line up in the front row
alongside Wallabies hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa and Harry
Johnson-Holmes, who will play his first competitive game since
suffering an ACL injury last February.
In the locks,
Lopeti Faifua will start alongside Argentina international Molina,
with Will Harris, Wests Scarborough’s Kane Koteka and Vaiolini
Ekuasi in the back row.
Hastie, who has joined the Force
from the Highlanders, is named to start at nine alongside Wallaby Ben
Donaldson at fly-half.
Bridge and 95-cap Wallaby Kurtley
Beale will run on in an experienced midfield, with Lancaster and
Divad Palu to start on the wings and Mac Grealy at full-back.
Bayley
Kuenzle (concussion), Nic Dolly (knee), Doug Philipson (knee), Feao
Fotuaika (foot) and Darcy Swain (calf) are unavailable.
The Force will take on Reds at 6.35pm today at Scotch College in Perth, Australia.
In other pre-season matches next Friday, the Blues will face the Hurricanes at Sacred Heart College in Auckland, New Zealand, the Crusaders will meet the Highlanders at Fraser Park in Timaru, New Zealand, the Chiefs will play the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua at Blake Park in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand, and the Western Force will take on the Brumbies at Scotch College in Perth, Australia.
Western Force team list
1 Sef Fa’agase, 2 Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 3 Harry Johnson-Homes, 4 Lopeti Faifua, 5 Franco Molina, 6 Will Harris, 7 Kane Koteka, 8 Vaiolini Ekuasi, 9 Nathan Hastie, 10 Ben Donaldson, 11 Darby Lancaster, 12 Kurtley Beale, 13 George Bridge, 14 Divad Palu, 15 Mac Grealy
Reserves; 16 Albert Alcock, 17 Marley Pearce, 18 Max Sawers, 19 Joshua Smith, 20 Misinale Epenisa, 21 Bradley Kuhn, 22 Chlayton Frans, 23 Gus Farnan, 24 Tim Sail, 25 Jack Daly, 26 Titi Nofoagatotoa, 27 Henry Robertson, 28 Agustin Moyano, 29 Luke Aiken, 30 Max Burey, 31 Alex Harford, 32 Ryan McGloin, 33 Boston Fakafanua, 34 Taj Annan, 35 Ronan Leahy, 36 Jackson Ropata, 37 Henry Palmer, 38 Justin Landman
Source: rugby.com.au
