Bayley Kuenzle will make his long-awaited return from injury in the Western Force starting line-up for Saturday’s important SMARTECH Super Rugby Pacific game with the Hurricanes at HBF Park.
Kuenzle, who was the runner-up in the 2024 Nathan Sharpe medal, has been out of action since injuring his posterior cruciate ligament and medial cruciate ligament playing club rugby in July last year and subsequently undergoing surgery.
He returned last weekend in the Fortescue Premier Grade with Associates, putting in an impressive display including a try and has now been named at left wing to replace the injured Dylan Pietsch.
Kuenzle’s return for Saturday's game (kick-off 5:35pm WST, tickets available via Ticketmaster) is the only change to the Force starting line-up that beat the Highlanders 29-20 in Round 8 prior to the side’s bye. Henry Robertson is added among the finishers as reserve scrum-half.
Joondalup Brothers loosehead prop Marley Pearce plus Wallabies Brandon Paenga-Amosa and Tom Robertson make up the front row.
Captain Jeremy Williams and Darcy Swain start in the locks, with Nick Champion de Crespigny, Super Rugby leading try scorer Carlo Tizzano and Vaiolini Ekuasi in the back row.
Wallabies veteran Nic White starts at scrum-half alongside fly-half Ben Donaldson, who is third in Super Rugby this season for points (72).
Kuenzle and Potter will start on the wings, with the latter having an excellent campaign, including sitting third overall for defenders beaten (29) and fifth for metres gained (458).
Hamish Stewart and Sio Tomkinson continue their midfield partnership, while Mac Grealy continues again at full-back after an outstanding against the Highlanders.
Western Force team list
Starting XV; Marley Pearce, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Tom Robertson, Jeremy Williams (c), Darcy Swain, Nick Champion de Crespigny, Carlo Tizzano, Vaiolini Ekuasi; Nic White (vc), Ben Donaldson, Bayley Kuenzle, Hamish Stewart, Sio Tomkinson, Harry Potter, Mac Grealy
Reserves; Nic Dolly, Atu Moli, Josh Smith, Reed Prinsep (vc), Will Harris, Henry Robertson, Max Burey, George Poolman
Game details
Western Force vs Hurricanes
Saturday 19 April, 5:35pm WST
HBF Park
Live on Stan Sport & 9Gem
Tickets available via Ticketmaster
Unavailable list
Ryan Coxon (ribs)
Harry Johnson-Holmes (knee)
Harry Hoopert (knee)
Divad Palu (shoulder)
Dylan Pietsch (quad)
Matt Proctor (shoulder)
