The NSW Waratahs have made four changes to the starting line-up for Sunday’s Swyftx Super Rugby AUS Round 3 clash against the Western Force at Warringah Rugby Club (12:45PM kick-off).
Angus Grover, 18, makes his first start in a Waratahs jersey. The scrum-half is a Lindfield and Gordon junior and one of the brightest under-age prospects in Australia.
Prop Brady Dawson also comes in for his first start of the competition, as do flankers Angus Scott-Young and Luke Reimer, following the 47-19 win against the Reds in Round 2 at the Santos Festival of Rugby in Roma last weekend.
Warringah Rats’ scrum-half Ben Fuhiniu was earlier added to the Waratahs’ squad for the competition and immediately takes his place on the bench, with Teddy Wilson rested.
With both sides two from two and having already secured their place in the Grand Final, the match will act as a decider as to who will host the contest next weekend.
Head Coach Lachlan McCaffrey was excited to see Grover in action for the top spot shoot-out and to also see Reimer and Fuhiniu play at their home ground in Rat Park, with the latter another Shute Shield player to get an opportunity during Super Rugby AUS.
“(Angus) Grover is learning under some pretty good nines here and gets an opportunity to start, with Teddy (Wilson) having a little bit of a rest this week,” McCaffrey said.
“It’s nice to play at Rat Park this week, with Lukey (Reimer) and Ben (Fuhiniu) from Warringah representing the Ratties out there on Sunday afternoon.
“It's been good getting out to the country regions during this competition. There'll be a few new guys getting an opportunity to pull on a Waratah jersey - in three weeks we've used 33 players.
“I came into Super Rugby AUS wanting to make sure that all the young players coming through and anyone in the programme gets an opportunity to play.”
Loosehead prop Tom Lambert and hooker Ethan Dobbins retain their starting berths, with Dawson coming into the side alongside them. Northern Suburbs prop Dawson, 23, has been involved in the Waratahs set-up since Super Rugby AUS last year.
Eamon Doyle leads the side from lock once again, partnering Miles Amatosero in the second-row. Amatosero was ruled out last weekend but is fit enough to start this weekend.
In the back-row, Scott-Young and Reimer offer experience alongside number eight Isaac Fonua, who made 12 tackes against the Reds. Reimer, 26, will make his first start in a Waratahs jersey at his home, club ground.
Pathway product Grover starts for a Waratahs senior team for the first time at scrum-half. He captained the Australian U18s side that defeated New Zealand 2-0 in the two-match series last year.
Max Burey partners Grover in the halves, having impressed once again at 10 against the Reds.
The rest of the backline outside the halves remains the same. Centres George Poolman and Otto Serfontein both impressed last weekend, with three defenders beaten each. Poolman made 60m worth of running metres, while Serfontein registered the first try of the game.
In the back three, Freedom Vahaakolo, Latrell Smiler-Ah Kiong and Sid Harvey are selected for the third game on the spin. Two Blues wing Smiler-Ah Kiong crossed the whitewash again at the weekend, while Harvey also scored a try and kicked four conversions.
On the bench, Australia U20s back-row Luca Cleverley has been added to the squad after his excellent form for Randwick First Grade Colts, where he scored a try in the 55-21 Grand Final win against Gordon recently.
The fixture on Sunday is part of a triple header at Rat Park, with the Waratahs U19s v Brumbies (2:45PM kick-off) and Pacifica Warriors v British & Irish Expats (5PM kick-off) following the main event.
NSW Waratahs v Western Force Round 3, Swyftx Super Rugby AUS, 12:45PM AEST kick-off Warringah Rugby Club, 1472 Pittwater Rd, Warriewood, NSW 2102 Starting XV:
- Tom Lambert
- Ethan Dobbins
- Brady Dawson
- Eamon Doyle (c)
- Miles Amatosero
- Angus Scott-Young
- Luke Reimer
- Isaac Fonua
- Angus Grover
- Max Burey
- Freedom Vahaakolo
- George Poolman
- Otto Serfontein
- Latrell Smiler-Ah Kiong
- Sid Harvey
Replacements:
16. Folau Faingaa
17. Nate Tiitii
18. Edwin Langi
19. Joe Mangelsdorf
20. Marshall Le Maitre
21. Luca Cleverley
22. Ben Fuhiniu
23. Joe Dillon
24. Charlie Bird
25. Nick Chan
