The CA Brumbies will take on the Australian Sevens side on Friday (21 November) as part of their pre-season preparations prior to the beginning of the 2009 Investec Super 14.

The Australian side – currently in Canberra ahead of the first leg of the IRB Sevens World Series in Dubai on 28-29 November – will face the Brumbies Academy on Wednesday evening before opposing a CA Brumbies squad on Friday afternoon. Both matches will take place at Griffith Oval.

The CA Brumbies squad is likely to include Peter Betham and Afusipa Taumoepeau, who were both included in the extended Australian Sevens squad for 2008/2009, and Shawn Mackay, who captained the Australian Sevens squad between 2005 and 2008.

The trial will feature two matches, each of two seven-minute halves.

CA Brumbies Head Coach Andy Friend says the match will allow both sides to test themselves against a quality opposition.

“Playing the Aussie Sevens side gives us a great opportunity to put into practice some of the core skills we’ve been working on in an opposed setting,” he said. “We’ll have a real focus on playing exciting, up-tempo rugby during the Super 14 season and this is a chance to try some of the things we’ve been working on so far during the pre-season.

“This is a great chance to see where we are physically, particularly fitness-wise, as well as mixing up training a bit during what is an intense pre-season period.”

Friend says he urges CA Brumbies and rugby fans to attend the fixture.

“It’d be fantastic if we could get a crowd down to Griffith Oval to support both sides and witness what will be some very entertaining and enterprising rugby,” he said. “We’re very fortunate to have a number of players in the squad with Sevens experience. Of course Shawn Mackay was a permanent fixture in the national side and as captain for a number of years and Pete [Betham] and Sipa [Taumoepeau] have been included in the extended squad for the World Sevens series as well. I’m confident that whatever squad we assemble will acquit themselves well in what will be an exciting match-up.”

The 12-man Australian squad for the Dubai tournament includes Willie Bishop, Will Brock, Benjamin Coridas, Drumayne Dayberg-Muir, Ed Jenkins, Richard Kingi, Luke Morahan, Brian Sefanaia, Aiden Toua, Stanley Hokafonu. Western Force outside back Dane Haylett-Petty and Waratahs back rower Ben Mowen have also been selected in the squad.

The CA Brumbies squad will be announced on Wednesday.

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