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Cape Town - Former Western Province back Marcel Brache will start on the wing for the Western Force in their Super Rugby opener against the Waratahs in Sydney on Sunday, the Force’s official website reports.
Brache, who joined the Perth-based franchise last year, will earn his 11th Super Rugby cap this weekend.
Another South African, Sias Ebersohn, will start at flyhalf, while ex-Sharks loose forward Brynard Stander and former UCT loosehead prop Francois van Wyk are on the bench.
Lock Sam Wykes will captain the Force, becoming become the ninth player to lead the Force in Super Rugby, a responsibility he takes on in the absence of Matt Hodgson, who will be sidelined until after the Week 8 bye with a hamstring injury.
Wykes, who will team up with Adam Coleman in the second row, will pack down behind the franchise’s all-Wallaby front row of Pek Cowan, Nathan Charles and Tetera Faulkner, with Cowan in line to equal Nathan Sharpe’s 92 matches for the Western Force - second only to Hodgson, who has played 113 matches for the club.
Chris Alcock, whose 2014 season was limited to just three matches due to a shoulder injury, makes his return to the starting XV to line up alongside Ben McCalman and Angus Cottrell in the back row.
In the backline, Kyle Godwin will make his first start in the No 13 jersey in Super Rugby having previously run on at inside centre in 24 of his 27 matches. He will team up with Junior Rasolea in the centres - the ninth time the pair have started in the midfield together at this level.
Alby Mathewson and Sias Ebersohn will renew their halfback partnership, while Brache, Luke Morahan and Dane Haylett-Petty will form the back three.
Sunday's clash at Allianz Stadium kicks off at 07:05 (SA time).
Teams:
Waratahs:
15 Israel Folau, 14 Taqele Naiyaravoro, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Kurtley Beale, 11 Rob Horne, 10 Bernard Foley, 9 Nick Phipps, 8 Wycliff Palu, 7 Michael Hooper, 6 Jacques Potgieter, 5 Will Skelton, 4 Dave Dennis (captain), 3 Sekope Kepu, 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1 Benn Robinson
Substitutes: 16 Tolu Latu, 17 Jeremy Tilse, 18 Paddy Ryan, 19 Sam Lousi, 20 Mitchell Chapman, 21 Stephan Hoiles, 22 Brendan McKibbin, 23 Matt Carraro
Force:
15 Dane Haylett-Petty, 14 Luke Morahan, 13 Kyle Godwin, 12 Solomoni Jnr Rasolea, 11 Marcel Brache, 10 Sias Ebersohn, 9 Alby Mathewson, 8 Ben McCalman, 7 Chris Alcock, 6 Angus Cottrell, 5 Adam Coleman, 4 Sam Wykes (captain), 3 Tetera Faulkner, 2. Nathan Charles, 1 Pek Cowan
Substitutes: 16 Heath Tessmann, 17 Francois van Wyk, 18 Oliver Hoskins, 19 Steve Mafi, 20 Brynard Stander, 21 Ian Prior, 22 Zack Holmes, 23 Luke Burton
