George Bridge to team up with Kurtley Beale when Force takes on Reds in pre season match today

All Blacks back George Bridge will make his first start for the Western Force when they take on the Queensland Reds in their Super Rugby Pacific pre-season trial match this afternoon.

Bridge, the former Crusaders try machine who spent the past three seasons in France with Montpellier, has been named to start at outside-centre.

Los Pumas lock Franco Molina, ex-Queensland Reds front-rower Sef Fa’agase, Wallabies winger Darby Lancaster and Perth-born Wanneroo junior Nathan Hastie have also been named in the starting XV, offering the Sea of Blue their first glimpse of the new recruits.

The Force have named an extended 38-player line-up for the game, which will be played across three 30-minute periods, enabling the wider group to get game time.

Fa’agase will line up in the front row alongside Wallabies hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa and Harry Johnson-Holmes, who will play his first competitive game since suffering an ACL injury last February.

In the locks, Lopeti Faifua will start alongside Argentina international Molina, with Will Harris, Wests Scarborough’s Kane Koteka and Vaiolini Ekuasi in the back row.

Hastie, who has joined the Force from the Highlanders, is named to start at nine alongside Wallaby Ben Donaldson at fly-half.

Bridge and 95-cap Wallaby Kurtley Beale will run on in an experienced midfield, with Lancaster and Divad Palu to start on the wings and Mac Grealy at full-back.

Bayley Kuenzle (concussion), Nic Dolly (knee), Doug Philipson (knee), Feao Fotuaika (foot) and Darcy Swain (calf) are unavailable.

The Force will take on Reds at 6.35pm today at Scotch College in Perth, Australia. 

In other pre-season matches next Friday, the Blues will face the Hurricanes at Sacred Heart College in Auckland, New Zealand, the Crusaders will meet the Highlanders at Fraser Park in Timaru, New Zealand, the Chiefs will play the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua at Blake Park in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand, and the Western Force will take on the Brumbies at Scotch College in Perth, Australia.

Western Force team list

1 Sef Fa’agase, 2 Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 3 Harry Johnson-Homes, 4 Lopeti Faifua, 5 Franco Molina, 6 Will Harris, 7 Kane Koteka, 8 Vaiolini Ekuasi, 9 Nathan Hastie, 10 Ben Donaldson, 11 Darby Lancaster, 12 Kurtley Beale, 13 George Bridge, 14 Divad Palu, 15 Mac Grealy

Reserves; 16 Albert Alcock, 17 Marley Pearce, 18 Max Sawers, 19 Joshua Smith, 20 Misinale Epenisa, 21 Bradley Kuhn, 22 Chlayton Frans, 23 Gus Farnan, 24 Tim Sail, 25 Jack Daly, 26 Titi Nofoagatotoa, 27 Henry Robertson, 28 Agustin Moyano, 29 Luke Aiken, 30 Max Burey, 31 Alex Harford, 32 Ryan McGloin, 33 Boston Fakafanua, 34 Taj Annan, 35 Ronan Leahy, 36 Jackson Ropata, 37 Henry Palmer, 38 Justin Landman

Source: rugby.com.au