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Cape Town - Wallaby wing Henry Speight will make his 100th appearance for the Brumbies when they face the Jaguares in their Super Rugby clash in Canberra on Sunday.
Speight returns to the Brumbies run-on side and is one of four changes to the starting XV made by head coach Dan McKellar.
The flying Fijian will claim a century of appearances for the Brumbies and in so doing will join an exclusive list of only ten players to have achieved the feat for the club in the history of Super Rugby.
There’s a return in the second-row for experienced lock Sam Carter, who will captain the side in the absence of co-skipper Christian Lealiifano, with the centre taking a planned break from Super Rugby to undertake a period of regeneration following a heavy workload in pre-season and taking part in every match thus far.
Scrum-half Joe Powell returns to the starting XV after an absence of two matches, swapping places with Matt Lucas who reverts to the replacements bench, whilst there is a recall for Kyle Godwin who will slot into the inside centre role vacated by Lealiifano.
There are three changes amongst the replacements with Mees Erasmus and Darcy Swain set to win their first Brumbies caps as replacement prop and lock respectively, both drafted back into the matchday 23.
We may also get a first glimpse this season of utility back Jordan Jackson-Hope with the exciting back selected following an impressive display for the Tuggeranong Viking sin their Griffin Legal John I Dent Cup victory over Gungahlin Eagles at Gungahlin Enclosed last weekend.
Elsewhere, the pack has a settled look with the front-row of Scott Sio, Folau Fainga’a and Allan Alaalatoa packing down together for a fourth successive match. Rory Arnold continues in the second-row, alongside the returning Carter, whilst the backrow will comprise David Pocock, Tom Cusack and Isi Naisarani.
The Brumbies have only ever played the Jaguares once before, and never in Canberra, having tasted a 39-15 success over the Argentineans in Buenos Aires last year, the second leg of their overseas tour.
Teams:
Brumbies
15 Tom Banks, 14 Henry Speight, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 12 Kyle Godwin, 11 Chance Peni, 10 Wharenui Hawera, 9 Joe Powell, 8 Isi Naisarani, 7 David Pocock, 6 Tom Cusack, 5 Sam Carter (captain), 4 Rory Arnold, 3 Allan Alaalatoa, 2 Folau Fainga’a, 1 Scott Sio
Substitutes: 16 Robbie Abel, 17 Nick Mayhew, 18 Mees Erasmus, 19 Darcy Swain, 20 Michael Oakman-Hunt, 21 Matt Lucas, 22 Jordan Jackson-Hope, 23 Andrew Smith
Jaguares
TBA
