Fresh from a tough opening trial,\u00a0ACT Brumbies Head Coach Stephen Larkham\u00a0has named his squad for the second and final trial match of the 2026 season, with the Brumbies set to face the\u00a0NSW\u00a0Waratahs at Marist College, Canberra, on Thursday\u00a0<\/p>\n
The hit-out\u00a0provides the final opportunity for players\u00a0to push their case\u00a0ahead of Round One\u00a0of the\u00a0Swyftx\u00a0Super Rugby\u00a0Pacific season.\u00a0It also presents the first chance this season to reignite the rivalry with the Waratahs, who the Brumbies will not meet again until Round Seven on 27 March 2026 at GIO Stadium.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Larkham said the group had absorbed some hard truths from the opening trial and were determined to respond.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had a good review of our first\u00a0trial\u00a0and whilst there are a few areas to work on in terms of cohesion and connection, we also saw some good individual performances,\u201d Larkham said.\u00a0
\n\t\u201c<\/p>\n
Playing in front of the fans at Marist always brings the best out of the players.\u201d<\/p>\n
The match will feature nine additions to last week\u2019s trial squad, with\u00a0James Slipper, Billy Pollard, Nick Frost, Rob\u00a0Valetini, Ryan Lonergan, David\u00a0Feliuai, Corey Toole, Luke Reimer and Ollie Sapsford\u00a0all set to play their first game of the year as part of the<\/p>\n
Brumbies\u2019 final tune-up ahead of the season opener on 14 February against the Western Force in Perth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The starting side will be captained by Ryan Lonergan, who partners\u00a0Declan Meredith\u00a0who shifts back to his traditional fly-half position. The backline features\u00a0Andy Muirhead,\u00a0Sapsford\u00a0and\u00a0Toole\u00a0in the back three,\u00a0while\u00a0Feliuai\u00a0links\u00a0with\u00a0Kadin Pritchard\u00a0in\u00a0a new-look\u00a0midfield\u00a0partnership.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The forward pack includes returning internationals\u00a0Slipper\u00a0and\u00a0Pollard\u00a0alongside\u00a0Rhys van Nek\u00a0in\u00a0the front row,\u00a0locks\u00a0Lachie Shaw\u00a0and\u00a0Frost,\u00a0and\u00a0a barnstorming backrow of\u00a0Valetini,\u00a0Rory Scott\u00a0and\u00a0Charlie Cale.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Brumbies will again utilise an extended bench, with\u00a0Blake\u00a0Schoupp, Tevita Alatini, Cadeyrn Neville, Luke Reimer, Klayton Thorn, Tane Edmed, Hudson Creighton, Toby Macpherson,\u00a0Tuaina\u00a0Tualima, Austin Anderson and Kye Oates\u00a0set to feature.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rory Scott\u00a0and\u00a0Liam Bowron, both former Marist College students, are relishing the opportunity to play at their old stomping ground.\u00a0\u2028\u2028<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u00a0are looking forward to the opportunity to connect on the field as a team again,\u201d Larkham said. \u201cThis game is a key step in our preparation\u00a0for the season.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
Trial match, Thursday 5 February, 1.30pm kick-off AEDT\u00a0
\n\tMarist College Canberra, 27 Marr St, Pearce, ACT 2607
\n\tACT Brumbies vs. NSW Waratahs\u00a0<\/p>\n
ACT Brumbies v NSW Waratahs<\/p>\n
1 James Slipper\u00a0
\n\t2 Billy Pollard\u00a0
\n\t3 Rhys van Nek\u00a0
\n\t4 Lachlan Shaw\u00a0
\n\t5 Nick Frost\u00a0
\n\t6 Rob Valetini\u00a0
\n\t7 Rory Scott\u00a0
\n\t8 Charlie Cale\u00a0
\n\t9 Ryan Lonergan\u00a0
\n\t10 Declan Meredith\u00a0
\n\t11 Corey Toole\u00a0
\n\t12 David Feliuai\u00a0
\n\t13 Kadin Pritchard\u00a0
\n\t14 Ollie Sapsford\u00a0
\n\t15 Andy Muirhead\u00a0<\/p>\n
Replacements:\u00a0Liam Bowron, Blake Schoupp, Tevita Alatini, Cadeyrn Neville, Luke Reimer, Klayton Thorn, Tane Edmed, Hudson Creighton, Toby Macpherson, Tuaina Tualima, Austin Anderson, Kye Oates \u00a0<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Number eight Pete Samu [pictured] will make his first appearance for the NSW Waratahs, against his former club, with eight changes in total from the starting XV that defeated the Reds 49-19 in Brisbane on Saturday. Wallabies Jake Gordon, Max Jorgensen, Joseph Aukuso-Suaalii and Andrew Kellaway also come into the run-on team.<\/p>\n
Waratahs head coach Dan McKellar was happy with his side\u2019s showing in Brisbane and is expecting a much-improved Brumbies performance, following their 42-12 defeat to the Western Force in Perth last Friday.<\/p>\n
\u201cTeam selection for Round 1 is going to be extremely challenging, which is exactly what you want as a Super Rugby coach,\u201d McKellar said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were pleased with the performance and application against the Reds, but we know that trial matches aren\u2019t necessarily a true reflection of where teams are at.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom a personal perspective, I just really enjoyed seeing the boys finally playing against some opposition other than themselves.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re now looking forward to testing ourselves against the Brumbies and we\u2019re expecting them to name a strong side, in front of their own fans in Canberra.\u201d<\/p>\n
Seven of the starting lineup from the Reds trial at the weekend keep their place, including the entire front row in Tom Lambert, Ethan Dobbins and Daniel Botha.<\/p>\n
In the second row, Matt Philip again leads the side but shifts to tighthead lock, with Ben Grant coming into the loosehead side.<\/p>\n
Clem Halaholo retains the number six shirt following his try-scoring display at the weekend. Charlie Gamble, man of the match in both of his previous games of rugby against the British & Irish Lions for the Waratahs and First Nations & Pasifika XV, starts at openside flanker, with Samu anchoring the scrum at eight.<\/p>\n
In the halves, Gordon is partnered by Jack Debreczeni, who is set to also feature for the Tahs for the first time and against his former club.<\/p>\n
Joey Walton retains his spot at inside centre after an impressive performance at the weekend, with Suaalii partnering him in the centres.<\/p>\n
Harry Potter again lines up on the right wing, after scoring an intercept try in only the second minute of his first appearance for the club against the Reds, with Jorgensen named on the left wing after signing his new, five-year deal with the Waratahs and Rugby Australia last week. Kellaway completes the team at full back, where he regularly appeared for the Wallabies in 2025.<\/p>\n
13 players take their place on the bench, with wing Triston Reilly set to make his first appearance of the season off the bench.<\/p>\n
The match on Thursday will act as the Waratahs\u2019 final piece of preparation ahead of the start of the Swyftx Super Rugby Pacific season, where they face the Queensland Reds in Round 1 of at Allianz Stadium on Friday 13 February.<\/p>\n
NSW Waratahs v ACT Brumbies:<\/p>\n
1 Tom Lambert
\n\t2 Ethan Dobbins
\n\t3 Daniel Botha
\n\t4 Ben Grant
\n\t5 Matt Philip \u00a9
\n\t6 Clem Halaholo
\n\t7 Charlie Gamble
\n\t8 Pete Samu
\n\t9 Jake Gordon
\n\t10 Jack Debreczeni
\n\t11 Max Jorgensen
\n\t12 Joey Walton
\n\t13 Joseph Aukuso-Suaalii
\n\t14 Harry Potter
\n\t15 Andrew Kellaway<\/p>\n
Replacements: Folau Faingaa, Isaac Kailea, Apolosi Ranawai, Angus Blyth, Leafi Talataina, Jamie Adamson, Teddy Wilson, Lawson Creighton, Sid Harvey, James Hendren, George Poolman, Triston Reilly, Ioane Moananu<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Fresh from a tough opening trial,\u00a0ACT Brumbies Head Coach Stephen Larkham\u00a0has named his squad for the second and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":455121,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[567],"tags":[64,63,760,85],"class_list":["post-455120","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-rugby","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-rugby","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/455120","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=455120"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/455120\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/455121"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=455120"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=455120"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=455120"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}