mens
super-rugby-pacific
Wallabies wing Dylan Pietsch returns to Western Force are overcoming a foot injury, named in the starting side for the Super Rugby AUS premiership clash with NSW Waratahs at Pittwater Rugby Park in Sydney.
Pietsch leads the squad to take on the Tahs, with both teams looking to maintain their unbeaten run ahead of the Grand Final. Whoever wins this match on Sunday afternoon will host the big dance early next month.
Australia Sevens star Wallace Charlie and Australia A representative Mac Grealy joined Pietsch in an exciting back three. He will play outside Boston’s increasingly popular midfield pairing of Fakafanu and Zac Lomax.
Nathan Hastie will look to continue his strong Super Rugby AUS campaign, with the scrum-half once again linking up with Kurtley Beale at fly-half. In attack, Force vice-captain Will Harris will once again line up at blindside.
Harris starts on one side of the scrum, with open flanker Jack Daly and no. 8 Jackson Iose rounding out the trio of loose forwards. Australia Sevens representative Aden Ekanayake is among the players looking to make an impact from the bench.
Trevor Hosea and Zak Healey are the other rowers, joined in the tight top five by a solid front row trio that includes several national team members. One-Test England rake Nic Dolly captains the side and will pack alongside props Tom Robertson and Misinale Epenis.
Western Force the team will take on the NSW Waratahs
1. Tom Robertson
2. Nic Dolly (c)
3. Missionaries of Epenis
4. Zak Healey
5. Trevor Hosea
6. Will Harris (vc)
7. Jack Daly
8. Jackson Lose
9. Nathan Hastie
10. Kurtley Beale
11. Wallace Charlie
12. Boston Poll
13. Zac Lomax
14. Dylan Pietsch
15. Mac Grealy (vc)
Substitutions
16. Albert Alcock, 17. Max Sawers, 18. Regin Pratt, 19. Wil Taylor, 20. Aden Ekanayake, 21. Evan Hooper, 22. Ronan Leahy, 23. Kane Koteka, 24. Luke Aiken, 27. Bradley Kuhn, 27. Bradley Kuhn.
