ACT Brumbies coach Dan McKellar will turn to "one of the best in the world" in Tevita Kuridrani for an extra spark in a potential grand final rehearsal.
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Kuridrani is set to end a two-match absence when he lines up at outside centre for a Super Rugby AU round 10 clash with the Queensland Reds in Brisbane on Saturday night.
The 29-year-old's return pushes Solomone Kata out of the XV, with Andy Muirhead and Tom Wright likely to retain their places on the wings.
"For me, Tevita is the best defensive 13 in the country and one of the best in the world," McKellar said.
"His work rate in defence is outstanding, we're just looking for him to be really sharp when he gets his opportunities in attack and demand the footy. We want him to use his size and his speed to challenge the opposition defensively.
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"He has worked hard over the past two weeks. We've given Sol and Lenny [Ikitau] an opportunity. Tev has played plenty of games for the Brumbies and plenty of Test matches, and he deserves an opportunity this week.
"His response was good. He understood the reasoning behind it, he has ripped into training and I am excited to see him back at the side, back at the level he plays at.
"It's important off the back of the hard work he has put in over the past couple of weeks that he plays well this week."
Nic White could make his first Super Rugby start since 2015 should he be named at No. 9 in a move which would see Joe Powell shuffle out of the starting XV.
Re-signed playmaker Bayley Kuenzle will again take the reins at flyhalf with the Brumbies taking a cautious approach with the return of young gun Noah Lolesio.
Lolesio has been sidelined since he suffered a hamstring injury in round three, and McKellar is refusing to rush the 20-year-old back in for a top of the table showdown. He could enter calculations for the final at Canberra Stadium on September 19.
It leaves Kuenzle to steer the ship against the Reds, and the rising star has no qualms about barking orders to his more experienced teammates in the biggest phase of his young career.
"Over the past couple of weeks I feel like I have built into that, owning my voice. I still feel like I've got to work on that a bit more. I feel like I really have produced that over the past couple of weeks," Kuenzle said.
"It's nice having Tevita in, especially for this week, he's a big ball carrier. He adds a lot of experience in the back line and we trust his calls when he wants the ball. It's nice having those blokes outside me.
"We're focusing on this week, even though we know we're already in the grand final, it's a big confidence booster if we can go up there and do a good job on them.
"Hopefully I build into this weekend and into the grand final, it's important for us to have a crack this week and hopefully I can produce again."
SUPER RUGBY AU ROUND 10
Saturday: Queensland Reds v ACT Brumbies in Brisbane, 7.20pm.
Caden Helmers
Caden Helmers is a sports writer for The Canberra Times.
Caden Helmers is a sports writer for The Canberra Times.
