Date & Time: Sunday, 27 September 2026, 12:45pm AEST (10:45am WST)
Venue: Pittwater Rugby Park (Rat Park), Sydney
Broadcast: Stan Sport, Rugby.com.au, YouTube
The Lowdown
This top-of-the-table showdown at Rat Park will decide who hosts next week’s Super Rugby AUS Grand Final. Both teams sit undefeated at 2-0, but neither coach is taking it easy before the decider. Waratahs boss Lachlan McCaffrey is resting halfback Teddy Wilson and handing a starting debut to 18-year-old prodigy Angus Grover, who captained the Australian U18s to a series sweep over New Zealand last year. Adding to the local spice at Pittwater Park, Warringah Rats flanker Luke Reimer earns his first start in a Waratahs jersey on his home club ground, while clubmate Ben Fuhiniu joins the bench. Lock Miles Amatosero returns to partner captain Eamon Doyle, and 23-year-old tighthead prop Brady Dawson earns his first start of the campaign.
The Western Force arrive in Sydney flying high after steamrolling the Brumbies 40-12 in Ballina. Coach Simon Cron welcomes back Wallabies winger Dylan Pietsch from a foot injury, while former Rebels lock Trevor Hosea makes his Force debut in the starting second row. Tongan tighthead prop and 2026 Rising Star winner Misinale Epenisa gets the nod up front, while Will Harris shifts to blindside flanker as vice-captain. With Nick Champion de Crespigny called up to the Wallabies squad to replace the injured Charlie Cale, former Aussie 7s star Aden Ekanayake comes onto the bench. Kurtley Beale pulls the strings at fly-half, looking to link up with an in-form backline featuring Boston Fakafanua and Zac Lomax.
Prediction
Waratahs by 4 points.
The Underdog’s Tip
While the Force possess plenty of firepower and momentum, playing in front of a partisan local crowd at Rat Park gives the Waratahs a narrow edge in what promises to be a physical, high-tempo battle.
Team Lists
Team lists are correct as of release via Clubs on Wednesday.
NSW Waratahs
- Tom Lambert, 2. Ethan Dobbins, 3. Brady Dawson, 4. Eamon Doyle (c), 5. Miles Amatosero, 6. Angus Scott-Young, 7. Luke Reimer, 8. Isaac Fonua, 9. Angus Grover, 10. Max Burey, 11. Latrell Smiler-Ah Kiong, 12. George Poolman, 13. Otto Serfontein, 14. Freedom Vahaakolo, 15. Sid Harvey.
Replacements: 16. Folau Fainga’a, 17. Nathaniel Tiitii, 18. Edwin Langi, 19. Joe Mangelsdorf, 20. Marshall Le Maitre, 21. Luca Cleverley, 22. Ben Fuhiniu, 23. Joe Dillon, 24. Charlie Bird, 25. Nick Chan.
Western Force
- Tom Robertson, 2. Nic Dolly (c), 3. Misinale Epenisa, 4. Zak Healey, 5. Trevor Hosea, 6. Will Harris (vc), 7. Jack Daly, 8. Jackson Iose, 9. Nathan Hastie, 10. Kurtley Beale, 11. Wallace Charlie, 12. Boston Fakafanua, 13. Zac Lomax, 14. Dylan Pietsch, 15. Mac Grealy (vc).
Replacements: 16. Albert Alcock, 17. Max Sawers, 18. Regin Pratt, 19. Wil Taylor, 20. Aden Ekanayake, 21. Evan Hooper, 22. Ronan Leahy, 23. Kane Koteka, 24. Luke Aiken, 27. Bradley Kuhn.
Scroll inside the box for match stats
Sunday was WA Day.
Well done Force.
Commentators doing a good job. Very calm.
As a neutral, enjoyed the game.
Is Lomax not playing
Ha! I didn’t even realise
Both of them must be rotating the squad , keeping the big boys for next week
Just switched on. Weather looks crap
Is there anyway to get to the comments without having to scroll down every timepast multiple sections?
Touch where it says how many comments at the top
Thanks!
Scrum was the call
So is Hastie a wallaby aspirant or ullblecks
He’s a Roodog
Big crowd at Rat Park
They might have more opportunities for a while now
Force looking the better of the two teams, but not taking opportunities presented
Cmon the Force!
Cmon Tahs