Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham has named his Super Rugby team to play the Waratahs in Canberra and included Scott Sio in the starting XV for the first time this year.
Sio comes back into the starting side with Blake Enever who will be making his first appearance for the 2016 season.
Enever comes in at lock to replace Rory Arnold who picked up a knock to his knee in the 52-10 win over the Hurricanes in Canberra last Friday.
24-year old Enever, from the Sunshine Coast, had a breakout first season with the Brumbies in 2015, making 11 appearances and scoring his maiden Super Rugby try.
Along with Arnold, Enever was named a joint-winner of the Brumbies Shawn MacKay Most Outstanding Young Talent Award following his first season in the nation’s capital and backed that form up with some standout matches in last year’s National Rugby Championship.
Sio, who today has signed a new three-year deal to stay with the Brumbies, returns to the starting side after coming from the bench last week. He is a straight swap for close friend Allan Alaalatoa, who also recommitted to the Brumbies until at least 2019 this week.
Sio, who has made 51 appearances for the Brumbies and 16-test appearances for the Wallabies, is currently regarded as one of Australia’s best forwards and will be hoping to make the most of his first start of the season.
Head Coach Stephen Larkham has made no other changes to the Brumbies side that crossed for seven tries against the Hurricanes last week.
Starting on the replacements list is Jarrad Butler, who could rack up his 50th Super Rugby cap in the match against the Waratahs.
The Brumbies went down 21-17 to the Waratahs in Wagga Wagga a month ago, and haven’t beaten their NSW counterparts since March 2014. In last year’s fixture at GIO Stadium the Waratahs snuck home 13-10.
Brumbies
Scott Sio , Stephen Moore (c) , Ben Alexander , Blake Enever , Sam Carter , Scott Fardy , David Pocock , Ita Vaea , Tomás Cubelli , Christian Lealiifano (c) , Joe Tomane , Matt Toomua , Tevita Kuridrani , Henry Speight , Aidan Toua ,
Replacements : Josh Mann-Rea , Allan Alaalatoa , Leslie Leulua’iali’i-Makin , Jordan Smiler , Jarrad Butler , Michael Dowsett , Andrew Smith , Nigel Ah Wong
