The NSW Waratahs and Western Force are set for a grand final rematch in the second season of Super Rugby AUS, with Scotch College in Swanbourne the setting for a Saturday thriller.
The Waratahs went down to the Force last week at Pittwater Park 17-12, but have been in this position before, having won the 2025 grand final on Western Australian soil last year 33-26.
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Head coach Lachlan McCaffrey is not leaving anything to chance as his side looks to go for back-to-back titles, making seven changes to the team that lost at Pittwater Park.
Headlining the changes is the return of scrumhalf Teddy Wilson, with Shute Shield stalwarts and Waratahs academy players in Prop Edwin Langi, lock Tom Girle, back-rowers Joe Mangelsdorf and Marshall Le Maitre and Randwick centres Charlie Bird and Nick Chan joining him.
Wilson will be joined by Max Burey in the halves, with the Waratahs also boasting Super Rugby talent in Tom Lambert and Ethan Dobbins in the front row, with Eamon Doyle captaining the side once again.
With a bench that also includes Wallabies Folau Fainga’a and Luke Reimer, plus the likes of Angus Scott-Young, the match is set to be a very different prospect for the Force this weekend.
“We are in the same boat as we were last year before the Super Rugby AUS Grand Final, with two wins and one loss through the regular rounds,” McCaffrey said.
“We will learn more after a loss like we had against the Force at the weekend. It is better preparation for a final, as we can take learnings from it and put them into practise in training this week.
“In terms of selection, we’ve gone with strong combinations with seven Academy and five Shute Shield players chosen to start who are hungry to compete and prove themselves at this next level.
“We have fond memories of going over to Perth for the final last year and we will have another crack to become back-to-back Super Rugby AUS champions.”
However, the Force are set to be more than up for the task, as they look to claim their first title since their 2019 National Rugby Championship success.
Head coach Damian Steele has made only one change to the side that won last week in Sydney, with a key return in Harry McLaughlan-Phillips to the starting flyhalf position after a stint in the Wallabies camp.
He’ll be in good company, with the starting side boasting Wallabies Tom Robertson, Kurtley Beale, James O’Connor and Dylan Pietsch, with Nic Dolly set to captain the side at hooker.
With strong Super Rugby players in Nathan Hastie, Mac Grealy and Will Harris, the Force will be capped off with several Fortescue Premier Grade players providing backups.
Cottesloe lock Zak Healey will be starting in the second row, and will be supported by Gulls’ teammates Regin Pratt, Nate Gallagher and Tim Sail, with Perth Bayswater half-back Luke Aiken and Kalamunda prop Max Sawers also included.
With a large crowd expected, Steele believes his side can bring a maiden Super Rugby AUS title to the west and use it as a chance to kickstart the Force’s 2027 preparations.
“The group are totally different. The model's different,” Steele said.
“Working with these guys has been thoroughly enjoyable. Our focus has just been identifying the areas where we were accurate on the weekend and wanting to capitalise on that.
“We absolutely loved the support that we had two weeks ago up at North Coast. It means a whole heap for our players.
They genuinely love interacting with the kids before, during, after the game. We didn't get them in the sheds until 45 minutes or an hour after, they were genuinely out being with the, with the kids and all of that. We definitely appreciate all the support that can get out there.
“[It’s] free entry, the women's game, the North-South match will be before. There'll be rugby on for a good three or four hours. Hopefully, we can get the chocolates for them.”
FORCE (1-15): Tom Robertson, Nic Dolly (c), Misinale Epenisa, Will Harris (vc), Zak Healey, Kane Koteka, Jack Daly, Jackson Iose, Nathan Hastie, Harry McLaughlin-Phillips, Wallace Charlie, Kurtley Beale, Boston Fakafanua, Dylan Pietsch, Mac Grealy (vc)
Replacements: Albert Alcock, Max Sawers, Brad Kuhn, Regin Pratt, Aden Ekanayake, Ronan Leahy, Nate Gallagher, Tim Sail, Luke Aiken, James O’Connor
WARATAHS (1-15): Tom Lambert, Ethan Dobbins, Edwin Langi, Eamon Doyle (c), Tom Girle, Joe Mangelsdorf, Marshall Le Maitre, Isaac Fonua, Teddy Wilson, Max Burey, Otto Serfontein, Charlie Bird, Nick Chan, Freedom Vahaakolo, Latrell Smiler-Ah Kiong
Replacements: Folau Faingaa, Brady Dawson, Will Goddard, Toby Brial, Angus Scott-Young, Luke Reimer, Oniti Finau, Ben Fuhiniu, Hadley Tonga, Joe Dillon
