The Western Force will be bolstered by nine Club debutants into the 23-player team list for the side’s Super Rugby Pacific season opener against Moana Pasifika at HBF Park on Saturday.
Off-season signings Nic Dolly, Darcy Swain, Nick Champion de Crespigny, Vaiolini Ekuasi, Sio Tomkinson, Divad Palu and Mac Grealy will make their Force debuts as starters on Saturday (4:35pm kick-off, tickets via Ticketmaster).
Wallabies winger Dylan Pietsch will make his Club debut off the bench having proven his fitness following a hand injury in pre-season.
Five-cap All Blacks prop Atu Moli marks a major storyline having been named for his long-awaited Force debut after overcoming long-term injury struggles including hip surgery midway through last year.
The game will represent Dolly, Champion de Crespigny and Palu’s Super Rugby Pacific debuts, with the former two joining after stints in England and France respectively.
Dolly will be joined in the front row by Joondalup Brothers product Marley Pearce and Tom Robertson, who’ll play for the Force in Super Rugby for the first time since injuring his ACL in mid-2023.
Captain Jeremy Williams will line up alongside 17-cap Wallaby Darcy Swain in the locks. Homegrown WA Wallaby Carlo Tizzano will combine with Champion de Crespigny and Ekuasi in the back row.
Scrum-half Nic White and fly-half Ben Donaldson will partner up to pull the strings, with Wallaby Harry Potter and Australia U20s rep Palu on the wings, with Grealy rounding out the back three at full-back. Wallabies centre Hamish Stewart and Tomkinson will start in the midfield.
In injury news ahead of Round 1, the Force can unfortunately confirm front-rowers Harry Hoopert and Harry Johnson-Holmes will be unavailable for the season having both sustained ACL injuries in pre-season.
Hoopert underwent surgery last week after sustaining an ACL injury in his right knee in training late last month.
Johnson-Holmes went down in the warm-up prior to Friday’s trial game against the ACT Brumbies, with scans on Monday confirming an ACL tear.
The Club wishes the pair all the best for speedy recoveries.
Force team list
Starting XV; Marley Pearce, Nic Dolly, Tom Robertson, Jeremy Williams, Darcy Swain, Nick Champion de Crespigny, Carlo Tizzano, Vaiolini Ekuasi; Nic White, Ben Donaldson, Harry Potter, Hamish Stewart, Sio Tomkinson, Divad Palu, Mac Grealy
Reserves; Tom Horton, Atu Moli, Tiaan Tauakipulu, Reed Prinsep, Will Harris, Issak Fines-Leleiwasa, Max Burey, Dylan Pietsch
Game details
Western Force vs Moana Pasifika
Super Rugby Pacific Round 1
HBF Park
Saturday 15 February 4:35pm WST
Unavailable list
Harry Johnson-Holmes (knee)
Bayley Kuenzle (knee)
Harry Hoopert (knee)
Kane Koteka (ribs)
Matt Proctor (shoulder)
Henry Robertson (ribs)
Papillon Sevele (knee)
