RugbyWA has made just one change for its match against the Reds, uniting a mother and daughter to pack down in the front row together in a Super W first.
Freida Ah-Sam beat out her mother Sera to win a starting position in RugbyWA's opening match against the Brumbies last week but with hooker Darryl Wickliffe ruled out for round two, the pair will be reunited to take on the Reds in a family affair.
The pair pack down alongside Cottesloe's Hineana Dando, with the rest of the forward pack remaining the same, with Katie Barnes and Rebecca Clough packing down in the second row and Taylavie Kelemete, Taylah Eastwood and Neesha Barrett making up the back row.
They face a tough job against a Queensland pack that boasts an all-Wallaroos tight five and six internationals overall in its pack.
Shaking off her debut last week Aiysha Wigley will remain at the halfback spot, looking for a breakout game after a solid start to the competition.
Fly-half Trilleen Pomare will remain the captain for the hit out, linking up with centre pairing Ariana Hira-Herangi and Taj Heald who shone in last week’s match.
Winger Claudia Nielson will provide an attacking threat to the team, backing up her breakout season last year with an assertive performance in round one.
To complete the run-on side will be Dallys Tini and Langley Sesega, both will be relied upon to be the last line of defence for the ladies in black and gold.
Sesega faces a tough challenge against former RugbyWA superstar Courtney Hodder who famously scored eight tries in the inaugural Super W season when playing in the West.
,/p>
Despite the round one loss to the Brumbies head coach Sebastian Delport is sticking to his plan looking to further develop his current side.
"Our focus this week has been on ensuring that the players have recovered fully from round one and a long weekend of travel," Delport said.
"We had a few players who needed to be assessed after our first game of the season, thankfully they have all been cleared and we can now focus completely on round two against Queensland.
"We'll continue to develop our on-field cohesion this week and look to clarify our tactical understanding as we head towards this weekend's game."
Some new faces will grace the bench this weekend with Wanneroo Rugby Club players Pareana Taitoko and Nadia Smith coming into the fold.
After having a brilliant outing off the bench Chrystal Asiata remains in the side with Moana Paul providing much needed backup as well.
Former Queenslander Charlotte Kennington will round out the reserves and could be RugbyWA's secret weapon given she was a part of the Reds' 2019 squad and has worked under Queensland’s head coach Moana Virtue for almost the entirety of her rugby career.
Despite the slight changes Delport is very confident with the new additions to the bench.
"Pareana and Nadia have rejoined the squad to give us some much needed depth in certain key areas of the squad," he said.
"They trained really well on Tuesday night, and with another full session under their belts tonight I have no doubt they will help us compete for the full 80 minutes at home against Queensland."
RugbyWA take on the Reds at Success Sportsplex in Perth on Saturday February 22, kicking off at 7pm AEDT (4pm local) and broadcast LIVE on RUGBY.com.au.
TEAM
RugbyWA to face Reds
1. Hineana Dando
2. Sera Ah-Sam [VC]
3. Frieda Ah-Sam
4. Katie Barnes
5. Rebbeca Clough
6. Taylavie Kelemete
7. Taylah Eastwood
8. Neesha Barrett
9. Aiysha Wigley
10 Trilleen Pomare [C]
11. Dallys Tini
12. Ariana Hira-Herangi
13. Taj Heald
14. Claudia Nielsen
15. Langley Sesega
Reserves
16. Nadia Smith
17. Chrystal Asiata
18. Yolanda Forsyth
19. Pareana Taitoko
20. Crystal Walters
21. Moana Paul
22. Charlotte Kennington
23. Emysen Robinson
