THE ACT Brumbies will restart their Super Rugby season without Tom Banks and Solomone Kata, forcing coach Dan McKellar to make back-line changes for their clash against the Melbourne Rebels.
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Banks (ankle) and Kata (hamstring) will miss at least the first round of the domestic competition, while Ryan Longeran has also been ruled out with injury.
Mack Hansen gets his chance at fullback, Andy Muirhead and Tom Wright take their places on the wing and Issak Fines will make his Brumbies debut from the bench alongside Berry's Will Miller.
The back-line reshuffle will test new combinations against a star-studded Rebels back line, which boasts Super Rugby milestone man Matt To'omua, John Eales Medal winner Marika Koroibete, Wallabies fullback Dane Haylett-Petty and Test everywhere man Reece Hodge.
The new season is set to be a 12-week selection trial for Wallabies hopefuls, every player given a clean slate under the watch of new coach Dave Rennie.
The Brumbies were flying before the coronavirus-forced shutdown in March, winning five of six games and enjoying their best start to a season in 16 years.
It catapulted several players into Wallabies contention, including rookie flyhalf Noah Lolesio, who will go toe to toe with To'omua in the former Brumby's 100th Super Rugby game.
But McKellar says Test selection is an afterthought on the eve of the three-month season.
"Our players are all about the team and understand if you perform well as a team, generally individual recognition comes off the back of that," McKellar said.
"It will be purely focused on what we have to do as a group collectively on Saturday night. If we do that consistently well over a period of time ... as we've already seen, then players will get recognised."
SUPER RUGBY AU ROUND ONE
Saturday: ACT Brumbies vs Melbourne Rebels at Canberra Stadium, 7.15pm
Brumbies: 1. James Slipper, 2. Folau Faingaa, 3. Allan Alaalatoa, 4. Darcy Swain, 5. Murray Douglas, 6. Rob Valetini, 7. Tom Cusack, 8. Pete Samu, 9. Joe Powell, 10. Noah Lolesio, 11. Tom Wright, 12. Irae Simone, 13. Tevita Kuridrani, 14. Andy Muirhead, 15. Mack Hansen. Reserves. 16. Connal McInerney, 17. Scott Sio, 18. Tom Ross, 19. Tom Cusack, 20. Lachlan McCaffrey, 21. Issak Fines, 22. Bayley Kuenzle, 23. Len Ikitau.