Wallabies prop Salesi Ma'afu will be out to prove a point against his former ACT Brumbies teammates when he lines up for the Western Force in Darwin tomorrow night.
Ma'afu left Canberra after being starved of opportunities in the Brumbies' front row last season with Ben Alexander and Dan Palmer keeping their spots for the majority of the season.
The 28-year-old decided to join the Force to try to anchor the scrum and he'll go up against a new Brumbies pack in the first trial.
The Brumbies left for Darwin yesterday with their 35-man squad ready to play for the first time under new coach Jake White.
White will not name his captain until the last trial match and he is expected to use most of his squad against the Force.
Force coach Richard Graham named his squad yesterday for the Super Rugby pre-season clash in Darwin. New Force skipper David Pocock and his predecessor Nathan Sharpe will not play.
Pocock has been rested after enduring a hectic 2011 campaign with the Force and the Wallabies, while Sharpe is nursing a minor calf complaint.
In the duo's absence, lock Sam Wykes will captain the Force.
Wallaby Richard Brown has also been ruled out as he recovers from a serious shoulder injury while Fijian international Napolioni Nalaga will suit up for his first match for the Force
Talented scrumhalf Justin Turner will make his return to competitive rugby after recovering from consecutive knee reconstructions.
With the Force and Brumbies to meet in round one of the season proper, Graham predicted both sides would be careful not to reveal too much during the trial.
''It would be nice to win but it's certainly not the be all and end all at this time of year,'' Graham said.
''It's about finding out about people, where we are as a group mentally and physically under stress.''
Graham said he expected to announce a replacement for Willie Ripia soon after the flyhalf resigned amidst theft allegations last month.
But it may not be a like-for-like replacement, with the coach confident playmakers James Stannard and Ben Seymour could do the job at No.10.
''At this stage it's about brining in the best quality I can find,'' Graham said.
Meanwhile, Force recruit Jordan Rapana's season is already over after the former NRL speedster suffered a serious shoulder injury at training.
Rapana was forced to undergo a full shoulder reconstruction after injuring the joint during tackling drills last week.
The 22-year-old's season-ending injury is another untimely blow to the Force just weeks before the season.
Rapana, who played with the Gold Coast Titans in the NRL before embarking on a two-year Mormon mission, is contracted to the Force until the end of 2013. AAP
Trial match: ACT Brumbies v Western Force in Darwin.
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