The ACT Brumbies will call on a pair of Canberra juniors to make an impact deep in their season opener as an all-star front-row braces for a Super Rugby AU innovation.
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Brumbies captain Allan Alaalatoa admits a 30-second time limit on restarts designed to create a more attractive brand of rugby will test the fuel tank in round one.
A free kick will be awarded following any infringement off the kickoff and restart, which includes an enforced 30-second time limit for restarts to happen following a conversion, penalty or drop goal, as well as restarts that are kicked out on the full or if teammates of the kicker are not behind the ball.
So emerging props Harry Lloyd and Tom Ross are primed to play key roles off the bench as impact players late in the piece against the Western Force at Perth Oval on Friday night.
Brumbies coach Dan McKellar will unleash a star-studded front-row boasting Alaalatoa, James Slipper and Folau Fainga'a in a bid to spoil the Force's Perth homecoming.
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Packing down against them will be Tom Robertson and 21-time Argentinian international Santiago Medrano, with veteran Greg Holmes waiting on the pine.
It looms as a massive opportunity for Gungahlin junior Ross and Wests product Lloyd, who comes in at the expense of injured Wallaby Scott Sio.
"With Slips and Scotty just returning in late January, it gave him a lot of opportunities to be in the side during pre-season and to work hard on his game and get one on one time with the coaches," Alaalatoa said of Lloyd.
"I've seen him definitely improve his game, what an opportunity he has got to be back here in Perth. He is someone who definitely deserves this opportunity.
"Our finishers definitely have an important role. As we saw in the trial, it went to the full 80 minutes and we expect again for that to happen.
"Our finishers are across that, they understand their role individually and what they need to add when they come onto the field, especially going up a few internationals coming off their bench as well.
"They have two international props who are starting, and then they've got a veteran Wallaby prop in Greg Holmes who is coming off the bench as well, and then Wags [Angus Wagner] who had been down at the Brumbies for a little while before coming to the Force, someone who is fresh and keen to rip in."
A return to Perth looms as something of a homecoming for Lloyd, who ignited his professional career with the Western Force before returning home to the Brumbies.
Now he is determined to shine on the back of a mammoth pre-season in the capital under McKellar, Laurie Fisher and Dan Palmer.
"Compared to the player I was this time last year, I'm far and away better than I was. Even the player I was in November. The pre-season did me a lot of good," Lloyd said.
"Rossy has been incredible as well, he and I competed quite closely during the pre-season, being the guys that aren't in the Wallaby group.
"You only have to look at Rossy to see how hard he was worked for the past 12 months, and I'm stoked for him as well. It's a big opportunity [on Friday] night to show what he can do."