Brumbies name unchanged 23 for semi-final

ACT Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham has named an unchanged 23 to take on the Chiefs in this week’s semi-final at FMG Stadium Waikato, with the Canberrans looking to make it two-from-two against Kiwi teams in the playoffs after beating the Hurricanes last weekend.

The Hurricanes’ impressive winning streak came to an end on Saturday at Canberra’s GIO Stadium, with Rob Valetini and Noah Lolesio orchestrating a memorable win for the Brumbies in front of their passionate home supporters.

Captain Allan Alaalatoa scored a try, Billy Pollard crossed for a double, and veteran prop James Slipper also got in on the point-scoring fun during the 35-28 triumph. Wallabies fullback Tom Wright also scored a decisive try only a few minutes into the second half.

Larkham has named the same 23 to take on the Chiefs, who are looking to bounce back from a shock loss to the Blues last weekend. Slipper will pack down alongside Pollard and captain Alaalatoa in the front row.

Nick Frost and Tom Hooper round out the tight five as the locking duo. Valetini starts at blindside flanker, with Rory Scott at openside flanker, and Tuaina Taii Tualima at No. 8. Luke Reimer is among those looking to make their mark off the pine.

In the backs, Ryan Lonergan and Lolesio start in the halves, while David Feliuai and Len Ikitau are the midfield pairing. Corey Toole and Andy Muirhead will start on a wing each, with Tom Wright completing the run-on side at fullback.

“The boys are peaking at the right time. I thought they played really well on the weekend,” Larkham said in a statement

“The selection is based on performance, but we also certainly want continuity going into the finals. And it’s a nice to have at this stage of the season.

“We’ll make sure that we keep our emotions in check this week. The boys can get a lot of confidence out of the way that we’re playing. There’s a lot of stats that show that we’re playing very good footy and we’ve also shown consistency throughout the season.

“We’re certainly expecting a few more people for finals footy on Saturday. We know when we get to Hamilton, they’ll be very loud with the cowbells and they’re very passionate about their team over there. It’ll be a great atmosphere for both teams to play in front of.”

This match between the Brumbies and Chiefs at FMG Stadium Waikato will get underway at 5:05 pm AEST on Saturday.