Top of the table meets bottom of the table as the Brumbies clash with the Rebels at GIO Stadium in Canberra on Saturday.
The Brumbies lead the Australian Conference comfortably with 28 points while the Rebels are rooted to the bottom of the table with eight points.
The Rebels’ only win of the season ironically came against the Brumbies back in Round Eight, but we wouldn’t bet on them repeating the feat. The Rebels have never won consecutive games against the Canberra outfit, losing eight of their 12 encounters overall.
Furthermore, the Brumbies have lost their last two home games but have not lost three on the bounce at home since 2011.
The Rebels find it much more difficult to score tries away from home, having gone tryless in three of their last five away games.
Last time out, Henry Speight was the chief destroyer for the Brumbies with a brace but still ended up on the losing side. He has three in the last two against the Rebels and enjoys playing against the Men from Melbourne.
The Brumbies have found their try-scoring touch as witnessed in their 39-15 destruction of the Jaguares last weekend. So we shouldn’t expect as tight a game as last time out in which the Rebels won a low-scoring game 19-17.
The Rebels meanwhile have received a boost this week with Toby Smith, Lopeti Timani, Reece Hodge, Sefa Nailvalu and Marika Koroibete all called up to the Wallabies squad for the June Test series. The Wallaby quintet should be high on confidence so the Brumbies will need to have their wits about them.
The last time the teams met: These sides met earlier in the season in Round Eight in what remains the Rebels’ only win of the season. A solitary Sefanaia Naivalu try as well as 14 points from the boot of Reece Hodge proved too much for the Brumbies, who scored through Jarrad Butler and a Henry Speight brace. Rebels won 19-17.
Players to watch: Keep an eye on Henry Speight who scored a brace the last time the sides met. Speight is coming off an excellent outing in Round 14 where he scored a try, made 10 carries and beat four defenders in the win over the Jaguares.
Meanwhile for the Rebels, Marika Koroibete is proving to be a clinical try-scorer since making the switch from Rugby League justified by his midweek Wallabies call-up. In the Rebels’ loss to the Crusaders last weekend, he scored two excellent tries.
Team news: Brumbies head coach Stephen Larkham has made one enforced change to the starting lineup. Prop Nic Mayhew comes into the team in place of the injured Ben Alexander. Alexander had been set to make Brumbies history by claiming his 143rd cap against the Rebels at GIO Stadium this Saturday, but an injury sustained late in training on Wednesday has put those plans on hold. Mayhew, who himself was forced to miss the match in Buenos Aires through injury, comes into the team which returns from their around-the-world trip, having gained nine points following excellent victories against the Kings in Port Elizabeth and the Jaguares in Buenos Aires.
Joe Powell, included in the Wallabies Test squad for the June series for matches against Scotland, Italy and Fiji, remains at scrum-half in a backline that also includes Henry Speight, Kyle Godwin and Tevita Kuridrani, who Wallabies coach Michael Cheika also selected this week. Tom Banks, who looked sharp in a man-of-the-match performance in Argentina which brought him a brace of tries, is at full-back, with Aidan Toua remaining on the left wing.
Rebels head coach Tony McGahan has made five changes to the starting line-up with the return of Timani, Hugh Sinclair and Mitch Inman, while Ben Volavola and Reece Hodge have shifted positions in the backline.
Timani has passed the concussion protocols after the loose forward missed last weekend’s game following a head knock at training while Sinclair will fill the shoes of injured Sean McMahon at flanker. McMahon is expected to miss six to eight weeks after dislocating his wrist against the Crusaders. For the third consecutive week, McGahan has named an unchanged frontrow with Toby Smith, one of five Rebels named in the Wallabies squad on Tuesday, hooker James Hanson and Tyrel Lomax retaining their spots. Volavola has been named at fly-half for his seventh start of the season which sees Hodge shifted to full-back and Inman recalled to inside centre.
Form: The Brumbies have won five of their 12 matches having beaten the Force, Waratahs, Reds, Kings and Jaguares while having lost to the Crusaders, Sharks, Highlanders, Rebels, Hurricanes, Blues and Lions.
The Rebels have lost 10 of their 12 games against the Blues, Hurricanes, Chiefs, Waratahs (twice), Highlanders, Kings, Lions, Reds and Crusaders. Besides that they have a win against the Brumbies and a draw with the Sharks.
Previous results:
2017: Rebels won 19-17 in Melbourne
2016: Brumbies won 30-22 in Melbourne
2015: Rebels won 13-8 in Canberra
2015: Brumbies won 20-15 in Melbourne
2014: Brumbies won 37-10 in Canberra
2014: Rebels won 32-24 in Melbourne
2013: Brumbies won 39-17 in Canberra
2013: Brumbies won 30-13 in Melbourne
Prediction: Brumbies will avenge their Round Eight defeat. Brumbies by 10.
The teams:
Brumbies: 15 Tom Banks, 14 Henry Speight, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 12 Kyle Godwin, 11 Aidan Toua, 10 Wharenui Hawera, 9 Joe Powell, 8 Jordan Smiler, 7 Chris Alcock, 6 Scott Fardy, 5 Sam Carter (c), 4 Rory Arnold, 3 Allan Alaalatoa, 2 Josh Mann-Rea, 1 Nic Mayhew
Replacements: 16 Robbie Abel, 17 Faalelei Sione, 18 Leslie Leulua’Iali’I-Makin, 19 Tom Staniforth, 20 Jarrad Butler, 21 De Wet Roos, 22 Andrew Muirhead, 23 Nigel Ah Wong
Rebels: 15 Reece Hodge, 14 Sefa Naivalu, 13 Tom English, 12 Mitch Inman, 11 Marika Koroibete, 10 Ben Volavola, 9 Nic Stirzaker (c), 8 Amanaki Mafi, 7 Colby Fainga’a, 6 Hugh Sinclair, 5 Lopeti Timani, 4 Steve Cummins, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 James Hanson, 1 Toby Smith
Replacements: 16 Siliva Siliva, 17 Cruze Ah-Nau, 18 Laurie Weeks, 19 Culum Retallick, 20 Will Miller, 21 Ben Meehan, 22 Jackson Garden-Bachop, 23 Jonah Placid
Date: Saturday, June 3
Venue: GIO Stadium, Canberra
Kick-Off: 19:45 local (09:45 GMT)
Referee: Nick Briant
Assistant Referees: Damon Murphy, James Leckie
TMO: Ian Smith
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