Milestones among Force team for zero2hero Charity Game vs Reds

May 13, 2026
153
Ultimate Rugby

The Western Force will celebrate a trio of milestones at Saturday night’s Swyftx Super Rugby Pacific Round 14 clash with the Queensland Reds at HBF Park, which is the Club’s zero2hero Charity Game.

Prop Sef Fa’agase will bring up his 100^th Super Rugby cap, after previously playing 83 times for the Reds in Super Rugby. Fa’agase, 35, joined the Force prior to this season and hasn’t missed a game in his debut campaign in the west, providing experience and impact in his role frequently used as a reserve prop.

WA product Carlo Tizzano will bring up his 50^th Force cap, after debuting for the Club in 2019 in the Global Rapid Rugby days. After stints with the NSW Waratahs and Ealing Trailfinders, he returned to the Force in 2023 and has thrived ever since, earning 14 Wallabies caps after debuting internationally in 2024.

Full-back Mac Grealy will make his 50^th Super Rugby appearance, having previously notched up 26 caps with the Reds before joining the Force ahead of the 2025 season. Australian Schoolboys junior Grealy has taken his game to a new level at the Force, earning a maiden Australia A call-up last year.

The milestones will add to the significance of the clash, which is the first of three home games for the Force, who remain in finals contention.

Saturday night’s fixture is also the Club’s first-ever zero2hero Charity Game. The Force and WA-based youth mental health charity zero2hero have come together with a three-year partnership starting this year, with a range of initiatives to be infused around the game to raise awareness and funds for their cause, including the Force wearing a one-off red strip.

In team news, the Force will welcome number 8 Vaiolini Ekuasi back to the starting XV after missing the past two games.

Prop Misinale Epenisa is also named to start at tighthead prop having missed last game with head injury protocols.

Max Burey, who was named Player of the Tournament in the 2025 Super Rugby AUS series, comes into the side at fly-half.

Los Pumas international scrum-half Agustin Moyano is added to the reserves for his fourth appearance in Force blue.

The Force has lost three players from last week with injury, with fly-half Ben Donaldson and prop Tom Robertson unavailable due to short-term quad and calf injuries respectively.

Scrum-half Henry Robertson will be unavailable after scans confirmed he suffered an ACL injury during last week’s loss to the ACT Brumbies which will end his Super Rugby season. He’ll undergo surgery next week.

In the run-on side, Harry Johnson-Holmes will switch sides of the scrum to start at loosehead, with Brandon Paenga-Amosa at hooker and Epenisa at loosehead in the front row.

Captain Jeremy Williams returns to the second row alongside Darcy Swain, who celebrated his 100^th cap last round in Canberra against his former side.

Ekuasi’s return to the back row, means Nick Champion de Crespigny reverts to blindside flanker with 50-gamer Tizzano at openside.

Perth-born scrum-half Nathan Hastie comes into the XV for his fifth start of the campaign and will play alongside Burey at 10.

Inside-centre Hamish Stewart and ex-All Blacks star George Bridge will continue their midfield partnership.

The back three is unchanged with Dylan Pietsch and Zac Lomax starting on the wings and Grealy rounding out the back three.

Fa’agase, in his 100^th game, headlines the impacts alongside hooker Nic Dolly, WA-born-and-bred prop Marley Pearce, Argentinian lock Franco Molina, versatile forward Will Harris, scrum-half Moyano and utility backs Bayley Kuenzle and Kurtley Beale.

Beale is set to bring up his 185^th Super Rugby cap, taking him equal with Aaron Smith for third most caps in competition history.

Western Force team list

1 Harry Johnson-Holmes

2 Brandon Paenga-Amosa

3 Misinale Epenisa

4 Jeremy Williams (c)

5 Darcy Swain

6 Nick Champion de Crespigny (vc)

7 Carlo Tizzano

8 Vaiolini Ekuasi

9 Nathan Hastie

10 Max Burey