Force field seven debutants in season opener

February 11, 2026
369
Ultimate Rugby

Four players will make starting debuts for the Western Force on Saturday with the 23-player team list confirmed to take on the ACT Brumbies in Round 1 of the 2026 Swyftx Super Rugby Pacific season at HBF Park.

Off-season recruits Franco Molina, Nathan Hastie and George Bridge have been named for their Force debut starts, while Harry Johnson-Holmes will deputise for the Club following two long-term injuries in Saturday’s Valentine’s Day clash dubbed ‘For The Love Of Rugby Game’.

The tighthead prop missed his debut season in Force blue after an ACL injury sustained in pre-season, following on from an Achilles injury in the 2024 campaign, marking more than 600 days between Super Rugby appearances.

The Force has named three debutants among the impacts with Argentinian hooker Leonel Oviedo and props Sef Fa’agase and Misinale Epenisa to get their maiden opportunities. Molina, Oviedo and Epenisa will also be making their full Super Rugby debuts.

Molina, Oviedo and Tongan front-rower Epenisa will also be making their full Super Rugby debuts.

The game marks WA openside flanker Carlo Tizzano’s 50th Super Rugby cap.

Reigning Nathan Sharpe medalist Tom Robertson starts on the front row alongside Wallabies hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa and Johnson-Holmes.

Captain Jeremy Williams will line up in the locks alongside Los Pumas second-rower Franco Molina.

The run-on back row will feature Vaiolini Ekuasi, Carlo Tizzano and Wallaby Nick Champion de Crespigny.

Hastie has won the race to be the starting scrum-half, with 2024 Nathan Sharpe medal winner Ben Donaldson alongside him at fly-half.

Wallaby Hamish Stewart and 17-cap All Black George Bridge start in the centres, with Bayley Kuenzle and Divad Palu on the wings and full-back Mac Grealy rounding out the back three.

Oviedo, Fa’agase and Epenisa are joined by Wallabies lock Darcy Swain, back-rower Will Harris, scrum-half Henry Robertson, 2025 Super Rugby AUS Player of the Tournament Max Burey and 95-cap Wallaby Kurtley Beale as reserves.

Western Force team list

1 Tom Robertson

2 Brandon Paenga-Amosa

3 Harry Johnson-Holmes

4 Jeremy Williams (c)

5 Franco Molina

6 Vaiolini Ekuasi

7 Carlo Tizzano

8 Nick Champion de Crespigny (vc)

9 Nathan Hastie

10 Ben Donaldson (vc)

11 Bayley Kuenzle