Brumbies include stars

The Brumbies have included eight Wallabies in their 29-man squad to play the Hurricanes in their opening Super 14 trial match at Canberra Stadium on Friday night.

Prop Ben Alexander, lock Mark Chisholm and lock/back rower Peter Kimlin will make their first appearance since the 2008 Wallaby Spring Tour.

They will be joined by fellow national team-mates Mark Gerrard, Nic Henderson, Guy Shepherdson, Clyde Rathbone and incumbent Brumbies captain Stephen Hoiles, who will skipper the side for the first time since officially taking over the post two weeks ago.

The match will signal Rathbone's return to provincial football since injuring his knee against the Lions in Johannesburg in March 2007.

The 27-year-old says he is looking forward to returning to the Brumbies' line-up after a 22-month absence.

"It's obviously been a while (since I've played for the Brumbies) but I've had half a season of club football under my belt since the injury and it's responded well through the pre-season," he said.

"I had a run against the Australian Sevens side in November without any dramas and now I'm just looking forward to getting out there and playing some football."

"We've had a great pre-season and Friday's an opportunity to start forming some combinations and building some momentum leading into the season."

The match will mark the first appearance for four of the Brumbies' six new recruits in locks Ben Hand, Shawn Mackay and Sitaleki Timani, and scrumhalf James Stannard.

Brumbies Academy squad members Nathan Charles, Anthony Hegarty, Talalelei Gray, Henry Vanderglas and Pat McCabe will also be given their first opportunity to impress.

Brumbies head coach Andy Friend says the trial season is important in building momentum in the lead-up to the Brumbies' first Super 14 match against the Highlanders in Dunedin on February 13.

"Virtually every position for our Round One match against the Highlanders is up for grabs over the next two weeks (against the Hurricanes and Waratahs)," he said.

"We want to see how players are playing under our style of rugby and while we've made some excellent progress through the pre-season it counts for nothing unless we can start putting it into practice."

"It's a really exciting time of year. The staff are excited, the players are itching to get out and play, and we're looking forward to putting it all together on the paddock on Friday night."

Stirling Mortlock, George Smith, Adam Ashley-Cooper and Stephen Moore have all been rested for Friday's trial.