Force line up Wallabies against Lions
The Western Force has included six Test players for their historic tour match against the British & Irish Lions at Patersons Stadium on Wednesday.
Matt Hodgson (six Tests) will captain the side in a starting line-up that also features Wallaby front row forward Salesi Ma'afu (13 Tests), No.8 Richard Brown (23 Tests), scrumhalf Brett Sheehan (six Tests) and flyhalf Sam Norton-Knight (two Tests).
Former -All Black Alby Mathewson (four Tests) will start from the bench and provide coverage at scrumhalf.
The players represent six of the most experienced players within the Western Force squad, with a combined total of 510 Super Rugby caps between them.
Joining Ma'afu in the front row is former Australian Under-20 prop Salesi Manu and James Hilterbrand, who has been part of the Force's match day 22 for their past six Super Rugby matches.
Super Rugby veteran Toby Lynn and Phoenix Battye will pack down at lock, while Angus Cottrell, who has started seven matches at blindside flank for the Force this season, has been named with Hodgson and Brown in the back row.
Wing Dane Haylett-Petty, who played nine Super Rugby matches for the Western Force between 2008 and 2010, will return to join the Western Australian side, having represented French club, Biarritz, since 2010.
He will be joined in the back three by Sam Christie, who started at flyhalf in the Force's opening two matches of the 2013 Super Rugby season, and wing Corey Brown, who was a member of the Force's wider training group and leading try-scorer in the 2012 Shute Shield competition.
Western Force squad members Chris Tuatara-Morrison and former Australian Sevens representative Ed Stubbs will make up the Western Australian midfield.
The Force has included Cottesloe utility Nick Haining on the bench, while former IRB Junior World Championship front row forwards Hugh Roach (Australia), Tim Metcher (Australia) and Sione Kolo (Fiji) will receive their first opportunities with the Western Australian side.
Wider training group member and Northern Suburbs lock Ben Matwijow, Force back row forward Lachlan McCaffrey and wing Junior Rasolea have also been selected on the reserves list.
Western Force: 15 Sam Christie, 14 Dane Haylett-Petty, 13 Ed Stubbs, 12 Chris Tuatara-Morrison, 11 Corey Brown, 10 Sam Norton-Knight, 9 Brett Sheehan, 8 Richard Brown, 7 Matt Hodgson (captain), 6 Angus Cottrell, 5 Phoenix Battye, 4 Toby Lynn, 3 Salesi Ma'afu, 2 James Hilterbrand, 1 Salesi Manu.
Replacements: 16 Hugh Roach, 17 Sione Kolo, 18 Tim Metcher, 19 Ben Matwijow, 20 Lachlan McCaffrey, 21 Alby Mathewson, 22 Nick Haining, 23 Junior Rasolea.
Date: Wednesday, June 5
Venue: Patersons Stadium, Perth
Kick-off: 18.00 (11.00 BST time; 10.00 GMT)
Referee: Glen Jackson (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Jaco Peyper (South Africa), Garratt Williamson (New Zealand)
TMO: TBC (New Zealand)
