Ex-All Black George Bridge starts as Force unleash new signings in trial

Former All Blacks winger George Bridge will partner Kurtley Beale in the centres when the Western Force face the Queensland Reds on Friday, with five off-season signings set for starts in the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific trial.

Bridge, who went to the 2019 Rugby World Cup with New Zealand, was a try-scoring machine at the Crusaders before taking up a deal with Montpellier. The back spent three seasons in France before returning to Super Rugby with the Force.

Los Pumas lock Franco Molina, former Queensland Reds front-rower Sef Fa’agase, Wallabies and Australia Sevens representative Darby Lancaster, and former Highlanders scrum-half Nathan Hastie have been included in the First XV as well.

Hastie will link up with Wallabies playmaker Ben Donaldson in the halves, while Bridge lines up alongside Beale in the midfield. Lancaster starts on the left edge, with Divad Palu on the right, and Australia A outside back Mac Grealy starts at fullback.

Fa’agase will pack down in a formidable front row along with Brandon Paenga-Amosa and Harry Johnson-Homes. Lopeti Faifua and Molina round out the tight five as the second row pairing, with the Force naming a strong backrow trio as well.

Will Harris has been selected at blindside flanker, Kane Koteka will wear the No. 7 as the starting openside, and Vaiolini Ekuasi completes the starting XV as the No. 8. The Force and Reds have both named extended benches for this fixture.

The Reds have named nine Wallabies in their matchday side, with Carter Gordon picked in the reserves. Harry McLaughlin-Phillips starts at fly-half opposite Donaldson, joining 20-year-old James Martens in the halves.

“Harry McLaughlin-Phillips has really impressed during the pre-season. He’ll start at No.10. Carter Gordon has added significant value to the squad and he’ll come off the bench,” Reds coach Les Kiss said in a statement.

“For Perth, it’s exciting to see this blend of experienced players with the young guys who put their hands up for the Reds in the matches against Tonga and the Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights plus Super Rugby AUS at the back end of last season,” Kiss believes.

“We were certainly impressed by guys like Vaiuta Latu, James Martens, Xavier Rubens and others playing as Reds for the first time in that block of games. Nicholas Conway will get his first chance at fullback for us in this trial.

“Across our two trials, most of our squad will get opportunities on the field so we have factored that in.”

This pre-season match at Perth’s Scots College will kick off at 4:35 pm WST on Friday.

38-player Force team to take on Queensland Reds

1. Sef Fa’agase
2. Brandon Paenga-Amosa
3. Harry Johnson-Homes
4. Lopeti Faifua
5. Franco Molina
6. Will Harris
7. Kane Koteka
8. Vaiolini Ekuasi
9. Nathan Hastie
10. Ben Donaldson
11. Darby Lancaster
12. Kurtley Beale
13. George Bridge
14. Divad Palu
15. Mac Grealy

Reserves; 16 Albert Alcock, 17 Marley Pearce, 18 Max Sawers, 19 Joshua Smith, 20 Misinale Epenisa, 21 Bradley Kuhn, 22 Chlayton Frans, 23 Gus Farnan, 24 Tim Sail, 25 Jack Daly, 26 Titi Nofoagatotoa, 27 Henry Robertson, 28 Agustin Moyano, 29 Luke Aiken, 30 Max Burey, 31 Alex Harford, 32 Ryan McGloin, 33 Boston Fakafanua, 34 Taj Annan, 35 Ronan Leahy, 36 Jackson Ropata, 37 Henry Palmer, 38 Justin Landman