Rugby: Queensland Reds travel to Canberra to face ACT Brumbies

The Brumbies host the Queensland Reds at Canberra Stadium on Saturday as the Australian Super Rugby conference gets underway.

The last time the pair met in Super Rugby was in April last year and the match ended in a 19-19 stalemate in Brisbane.

Since then, both sides have seen a changes of management with former Brumbies assistants Stephen Larkham and Laurie Fisher stepping up to take full charge after Jake White returned to South Africa to join the Sharks.

Similarly for the Reds, Richard Graham has taken overall charge after former coach Ewen McKenzie was appointed head of the Australian national side.

Out of the last five matches between the teams they are are level on two wins each, two losses and the draw.

Overall the Brumbies have played the Reds 22 times since 1996 and the Canberra-based franchise have won on 17 occasions, losing just four times.

In terms of selection, there is little change for the Brumbies, who have named a familiar starting line-up, with new faces on the replacements bench.

The Brumbies boast a full strength side for the curtain-raiser with one notable inclusion, David Pocock, who returns to the side for the first time in almost a year.

After impressing for in Australian colours, Jesse Mogg returns to Brumbies action at full-back, while the half-back partnership of Matt Toomua and Nic White is restored, in a healthy-looking starting XV.

Similarly, the Reds too have named a strong line-up which features Wallaby Quade Cooper, former Waratahs winger Lachie Turner and Aidan Toua at fullback in his first Super Rugby match since March last year.

Cooper is joined in the axis by Will Genia, Australia international James Horwill captains the side from the second row, with James Slipper, Saia Fainga'a and Greg Holmes ahead of him in a formidable Reds front row.

Brumbies: 15 Jesse Mogg, 14 Henry Speight, 13 Andrew Smith, 12 Pat McCabe, 11 Joe Tomane, 10 Matt Toomua, 9 Nic White, 1 Scott Sio, 2 Stephen Moore, 3 Ben Alexander, 4 Scott Fardy, 5 Sam Carter, 6 Ben Mowen (capt) , 7 David Pocock, 8 Jarrad Butler.
Replacements: 16 Siliva Siliva , 17 Ruan Smith, 18 Ruaidhri Murphy, 19 Leon Power, 20 Lachlan McCaffrey, 21 Conrad Hoffmann, 22 Tevita Kuridrani, 23 Lionel Cronje.

Queensland Reds: 15 Aidan Toua, 14 Lachie Turner, 13 Ben Tapuai, 12 Mike Harris, 11 Dom Shipperley, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Will Genia, 1 James Slipper, 2 Saia Fainga'a, 3 Greg Holmes, 4 Rob Simmons, 5 James Horwill (capt), 6 Eddie Quirk, 7 Liam Gill, 8 Jake Schatz
Replacements: 16 James Hanson, 17 Ben Daley, 18 Jono Owen, 19 Ed O'Donoghue, 20 Beau Robinson, 21 Nick Frisby, 22 Anthony Fainga'a, 23 Chris Feauai-Sautia.