Waratahs Super rugby head coach Rob Penney has named his final matchday 23 for the regular season and a must-win clash if they are to reach the play offs.
The Waratahs face the Melbourne Rebels at Leichhardt Oval on Saturday and Penney has named a largely unchanged squad and has continued with the core group of players that have featured over the majority of the competition to date.
Despite being given every opportunity to prove his fitness, Karmichael Hunt has been ruled out after being a late scratching ahead of the Waratahs trip to Canberra last weekend.
Tepai Moeroa has been named in his place, earning his first start in Super Rugby AU. After making his Waratahs debut last week in Canberra, Nick Malouf retains his spot on the bench alongside Ben Donaldson and Mitch Short.
Will Harris also returns to the reserves after an extended injury lay-off due to an ankle injury.
Waratahs
15 Jack Maddocks, 14 James Ramm, 13 Joey Walton, 12 Tepai Moeroa, 11 Alex Newsome, 10 Will Harrison, 9 Jake Gordon, 8 Jack Dempsey, 7 Michael Hooper, 6 Lachlan Swinton, 5 Rob Simmons (c), 4 Ned Hanigan, 3 Harry Johnson-Holmes, 2 Tom Horton, 1 Tom Robertson
Replacements: 16 Robbie Abel, 17 Angus Bell, 18 Tetera Faulkner, 19 Tom Staniforth, 20 Will Harris, 21 Mitch Short, 22 Ben Donaldson, 23 Nick Malouf
