His try in the final seconds of last year’s Derby clash secured victory for his new club against his old. This time around, Michael Foley has backed Sitaleki Timani to make a difference from the first minute, rewarding his impactful performances from the bench with a place in the starting XV.
The elevation of the 125kg Tongan lock is the only change to the run on side that performed so well in last week’s big Sunday afternoon clash against the Crusaders. Timani will be joined by two other former Brumbies in Adam Ashley-Cooper who starts at full back and Rocky Elsom, who will be looking to make an impact from the bench in his third game back this season.
Having spent a year in Canberra in 2010 with little game time, Timani admits he is pretty excited at the prospect of facing his old team mates. “It’s always a big challenge to go back (to your old team) and try to get the win.”
Timani’s try, with nine seconds remaining on the clock, snatched a 29-22 victory for the HSBC Waratahs in Canberra last year after the Brumbies looked to have the game sewn up. “Coming off last year and because I didn’t play any games when I was over there (with the Brumbies), it gives me more motivation to try to prove something. I still have that motivation now, I try to prove myself against every team.
“With Jake White coming in, it will be a big challenge for us to beat them over there but I am confident we can come away with the win if we do our jobs.”
Elsom knows that there is plenty on the line this weekend, as the top two teams in the Australian Conference battle it out in a traditional Derby match. But the former Brumby says history won’t come into it on Saturday night. “We don’t need any more motivation that the four points,’ he said. “We need a win and they do too. They are a side we’ve got to treat with a fair bit of respect, that’s not because we know them but because they are playing well. Both teams need to win, there’s no doubt about that.”
With that in mind, Elsom believes there is plenty the team can take from last weekend’s performance against the Crusaders. “We didn’t get the win at the weekend but there were a lot of good things. The effort and the mental application of the guys to keep to what we said we wanted to do was really evident throughout the game, even when things weren’t going our way. We gave ourselves the best chance.
“That mental effort is important this weekend. They play field position very well and play to their strengths. You’ve always got to be cautious of a team performing well and all playing on the same page.”
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here to hear what Lachie Turner had to say about the game on today's Fox Sports Long Lunch program.
You can follow the HSBC Waratahs’ FxPro Super Rugby round 11 clash with the Brumbies live on Fox Sports 3 from 7.30pm or keep up to date with every score with the HSBC Waratahs’ live twitter updates by following @NSWWaratahs or searching#BRUvWAR.
Next Friday, the HSBC Waratahs are back home to take on the Bulls on Heritage Night at Allianz Stadium in a match that celebrates ‘The Downing of the ‘Boks’, one of the greatest moments in NSW Rugby history.
To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the famous 1937 NSW victory over the touring Springboks, the HSBC Waratahs will next weekend wear a specially-commissioned, limited edition heritage jersey. Traditionally, the Friday night fixture has proved particularly popular with the HSBC Waratahs’ city-based fans, who come across in droves to enjoy an after-work evening of action-packed footy.
Tickets for the match, which kicks off at 7.40pm on Friday, May 11, are available online from
Ticketek priced from $20 for adults, $10 for juniors and $50 for a family of four. Full match day information and details of how to get hold of the unique jersey are available via the
Waratahs website under the
match day tab.
HSBC WARATAHS v Brumbies
FxPro Super Rugby round 11
Saturday May 11, 2012
Canberra Stadium (7.40pm)
15. Adam Ashley-Cooper (Northern Suburbs)
14. Atieli Pakalani (Southern Districts)
13. Tom Kingston (Sydney University)
12. Tom Carter (Sydney University)
11. Peter Betham (Sydney University)
10. Berrick Barnes (Sydney University), vice captain
9. Brendan McKibbin (Eastern Suburbs)
8. Wycliff Palu (Manly)
7. Jono Jenkins (Sydney University)
6. Dave Dennis (Sydney University)
5. Kane Douglas (Southern Districts)
4. Sitaleki Timani (Southern Districts)
3. Sekope Kepu (Randwick)
2. Tatafu Polota-Nau (Parramatta
1. Benn Robinson (Eastwood), captain
Replacements
16. John Ulugia (Southern Districts)
17. Jeremy Tilse (Sydney University)
18. Dean Mumm (Sydney University)
19. Lopeti Timani (Southern Districts)
20. Rocky Elsom (Randwick)
21. Sarel Pretorius (Gordon)
22. Daniel Halangahu (Sydney University)
Coaching Staff
Michael Foley – Head Coach
Alan Gaffney – Senior Assistant Coach
Scott Bowen – Assistant Coach
Greg Mumm – Coaching Coordinator
An HSBC Waratahs membership is your ticket to a number of exciting benefits including great value seats to watch all the HSBC Waratahs home matches. Membership packages start from just $38 for a 2 Game Associate adult package. Show your support and sign up online at www.waratahs.com/membership or call the membership services team on 1300 733 899.