VENUE & TIME: Canberra Stadium, Friday February 24, 7.40pm (AEDT).
HEAD TO HEAD: Played 8 - Brumbies 3, Force 3, Draw 2.
LAST TIME: May 21, 2011 (Perth) - Force 13-13 Brumbies (round 14).
WALKING WOUNDED: Brumbies utility and incumbent Wallabies inside centre Pat McCabe is still a few weeks away from a return following post-World Cup shoulder surgery. Force lock Sam Wykes will miss the season opener with a nagging hamstring injury, however veteran Nathan Sharpe returns after being rested from the club's trial matches.
FORM:
Brumbies Past Five:
Week 18: Loss, 41-7 v Waratahs, Sydney
Week 17: Win, 32-17 v Rebels, Canberra
Week 16: Win 22-14 v Reds, Brisbane
Week 15: Loss, 16-3 v Stormers, Canberra
Week 14: Draw, 13-13 v Force, Perth
Force Past Five:
Week 18: Win, 27-24 v Rebels, Melbourne
Week 17: Loss, 24-21 v Reds, Perth
Week 16: Win, 21-14 v Highlanders, Dunedin
Week 15: Loss, 34-28 v Hurricanes, Wellington
Week 14: Draw, 13-13 v Brumbies, Perth
The Brumbies beat the Force in their opening pre-season hit-out before a hard-fought 27-20 loss against the Reds. New coach Jake White faces a tough challenge this season after no less than 14 players - including Adam Ashley-Cooper, Matt Giteau, Rocky Elsom and former skipper Stephen Hoiles - left the club at the end of last season. Wallabies Stephen Moore, Ben Alexander and McCabe are still on the books, but with so many youngsters on the roster it's sure to be a roller coaster ride for Brumbies fans in 2012. The Force hardly set the world on fire in the pre-season, registering a 25-0 loss to the Brumbies and a 40-10 defeat at the hands of defending champions the Reds. Granted, new skipper David Pocock didn't play in the first trial against the Brumbies and it's always dangerous to focus on pre-season form. But with young superstar James O'Connor now wearing a Melbourne Rebels jumper after the Force inexplicably let him walk out the door last year, and with no recognised No.10 in the ranks to replace him, it shapes as a long year for the men from the west.
WHO'S HOT: Hooker Stephen Moore was by far the Brumbies' best player in a miserable 2011 campaign, and he continued his strong play for the Wallabies. The 29-year-old was controversially overlooked for the captaincy in favour of new recruit Ben Mowen, sparking rumours of discontent in the nation's capital. But the veteran rake will no doubt 'suck it up' and lead through his actions this season. New Force captain David Pocock single-handedly dragged the Wallabies into the World Cup semi-final with one of the most dominant individual displays in recent memory against South Africa in the quarter-final. His performance drew howls of protest from Springboks fans who claimed referee Bryce Lawrence - who just happens to be in charge of this weekend's game - allowed him to get away with murder at the breakdown. Pocock will need to be at his absolute best this season if he's to drag the Force into the semis for the first time.
WE THINK: The Force have never won their opening game of the Super Rugby season and we expect that trend to continue on Friday night. The visitors boast a brilliant back-row and a strong forward pack, but their