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Brumbies coach Jake White on Wednesday resisted the temptation to switch Wallaby Pat McCabe from wing back to inside centre after just one match in his return from injury.
Instead, Tomane, who has played just two minutes for the Brumbies this year, gets the difficult midfield assignment against Williams, who has starred for the Chiefs in their past two victories against the Blues and the Crusaders.
A former Australian Schoolboys representative, the 22-year-old Tomane started out playing rugby union before defecting to league for stints with NRL clubs Melbourne and Gold Coast.
Released by the Titans in August before signing on with the Brumbies, he gets his big chance after five eighth Matt Toomua was ruled out with a knee injury, causing White to move Christian Lealiifano from the centres to playmaker.
Tomane is one of four Brumbies making a season starting debut in the game.
Scott Fardy replaces Peter Kimlin at blindside flanker while Michael Hooper will start at No.7 over Ita Vaea and Ian Prior got the nod over Nic White at scrumhalf after White suffered from the lingering effects of a cold against the Cheetahs last week.
Kimlin has been moved to lock to partner Leon Power, who returns after recovering from a hamstring niggle at the expense of Ben Hand.
Rookie Cam Crawford was named on the bench for a possible Super Rugby debut after passport troubles ruled Tevita Kuridrani out of flying to New Zealand.
White said the clash - their first away from home - looms as the Brumbies' biggest test of the season so far after tight wins over the Western Force and the Cheetahs.
Teams:
Chiefs:
TBA
Brumbies: 15 Jesse Mogg, 14 Pat McCabe, 13 Andrew Smith, 12 Joe
Tomane, 11 Henry Speight, 10 Christian Lealiifano, 9 Ian Prior, 8 Ben Mowen,
7 Michael Hooper, 6 Scott Fardy, 5 Peter Kimlin, 4 Leon Power, 3 Dan Palmer,
2 Stephen Moore, 1 Ben Alexander
Substitutes: 16 Anthony Hegarty, 17 Ruaidhri Murphy, 18 Sam Carter, 19 Ita Vaea, 20 Nic White, 21 Zack Holmes, 22 Cam Crawford
