Jake keeps the faith
Brumbies coach Jake White named an unchanged team to face the Hurricanes in a Super Rugby crunch match in Canberra on Friday.
With just three competition games left, the Brumbies are working hard to maintain combinations and routine.
White said he was pleased to have the benefit of consistency in his selections and that it provided stability for the team moving into the twilight stages of the 2013 Super Rugby competition.
"I've said all along that by this time in the competition we want to be solidifying our combinations and selecting a similar team each week and I think that's clearly reflected in the side I've chosen to face the Hurricanes," White said.
"The Hurricanes are fairly typical of New Zealand teams with the exception perhaps of the Crusaders, in that they like to throw the ball around and have the ability to score long-range tries.
"They've selected a big pack, so our forwards are also going to have to be working hard to stop them getting a roll on. The Hurricanes are unpredictable and strong right across the pitch, so Friday night shapes as a tough assignment for our guys."
The Wellington-based outfit comes to Canberra on the back of a bye weekend and a close loss to the front-running Chiefs.
The side should be well rested and desperate for a win to stay within finals contention.
This is the 19th time the Brumbies have faced off against the Hurricanes, with the ACT-based side holding a narrow advantage over their rivals at 10 wins to eight.
The last time the Brumbies took on the Hurricanes was in Wellington last year, with the visitors managing a 37-25 win.
Should the Brumbies seal another win on Friday it will extend the streak to three for the first time since 1997.
Brumbies: 15 Jesse Mogg, 14 Henry Speight, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 12 Christian Lealiifano, 11 Joe Tomane, 10 Matt Toomua, 9 Nic White, 8 Ben Mowen (captain), 7 Colby Faingaa, 6 Peter Kimlin, 5 Sam Carter, 4 Scott Fardy, 3 Ben Alexander, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Scott Sio.
Replacements: 16 Siliva Siliva, 17 Ruan Smith, 18 Fotu Auelua, 19 Jordan Smiler, 20 Ian Prior, 21 Robbie Coleman, 22 Clyde Rathbone.
Date: Friday, May 31
Venue: Canberra Stadium, Canberra
Kick-off: 19.40 (21.40 NZ time; 09.40 GMT)
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Rohan Hoffmann (Australia), Matt O'Brien (Australia)
TMO: George Ayoub (Australia)
