Brumbies bring Siliva in for Blues
The Brumbies team shows just one change to their starting side, with Siliva Siliva given a crack at the No.2 jumper for Friday's Super Rugby clash with the Blues.
Stephen Moore will miss his first Brumbies game through injury since 2011, after the champion hooker was given a week to recover from a niggling knee concern.
With Siliva moving into the starting side, Josh Mann-Rea comes on to the Brumbies bench in what shapes as an otherwise untouched squad from the one which lost to the Rebels in Melbourne last Friday.
The Brumbies will be fighting to reverse the trend of Blues victories in the capital after the Auckland natives managed to bundle the Brumbies out of the competition on their last visit in 2012.
That loss was one of the club's most painful in recent years, causing the Brumbies to miss clinching the Australian Conference title and a spot in the play-offs by a solitary point to the Reds.
In 2013 the Brumbies managed to right some of the wrongs caused in 2012, beating the Blues at Eden Park 20-13 in one of the team's most clinical displays of the season.
The last time the Brumbies managed to beat the Blues in Canberra was in 2009 when the side came from a half-time deficit to post a 37-15 win. Five tries highlighted the win and the Brumbies will be hoping for more of the same.
The Blues have been a mixed bag in 2014 and have not managed a win away from home.
They were unlucky against the Lions in Johannesburg, while a 35-24 win over the Crusaders proved they have the gumption to make a mark on the competition and score points against quality opposition.
The Blue did not score less than 20 points through the first seven round of the competition, and come to Canberra as a genuine threat from anywhere on the paddock.
Brumbies: 15 Jesse Mogg, 14 Joe Tomane, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 12 Pat McCabe, 11 Robbie Coleman, 10 Matt Toomua, 9 Nic White, 8 Ben Mowen (captain), 7 Jarrad Butler, 6 Jordan Smiler, 5 Sam Carter, 4 Scott Fardy, 3 Ben Alexander, 2 Siliva Siliva, 1 JP Smith.
Replacements: 16 Josh Mann-Rea, 17 Ruan Smith, 18 Ruaidhri Murphy, 19 Jack Whetton, 20 Lachlan McCaffrey, 21 Conrad Hoffmann, 22 Andrew Smith, 23 Christian Lealiifano.
Date: Friday, April 4
Venue: GIO Stadium, Canberra
Kick-Off: 19:40 (09.40 GMT; 21.40 NZ time)
Referee: Rohan Hoffmann (Australia)
Assistant referee: Angus Gardner (Australia), Damien Mitchelmore (Australia)
TMO: George Ayoub (Australia)
