White blow for Brumbies

The Brumbies have been forced into a late change ahead of their Super Rugby Round 10 encounter with the Rebels in Canberra on Saturday.

Wallaby scrumhalf Nic White has failed to recover from an ankle injury.

Unheralded Tuggeranong Vikings No.9 Joe Powell will come onto the Brumbies bench.

White, who missed a last-minute penalty attempt last weekend which would have lifted the Brumbies to victory against the Blues, was initially named on the bench.

However, the Montpellier-bound scrumhalf, White, looks set to spend the next three weeks on the sidelines.

Michael Dowsett will now have an opportunity to prove he is the man to replace White as the Super Rugby team's No.9 next year, when he makes his starting debut against the Melbourne-based Rebels.

White is joining French club Montpellier after the World Cup in England later this year and Brumbies coach Stephen Lark-ham is scouring the globe for an international replacement.

However, Dowsett has a chance to show his worth.

Recommended to the Brumbies by Northern Suburbs coach Scott Fava, the 23-year-old Dowsett arrived in Canberra last year on an extended player contract that was upgraded to a full-time contract this season.

Brumbies - revised: 15 Robbie Coleman, 14 Lausii Taliauli, 13 Henry Speight, 12 Nigel Ah Wong, 11 Joe Tomane, 10 Christian Lealiifano, 9 Michael Dowsett, 8 Jarrad Butler, 7 David Pocock, 6 Scott Fardy, 5 Sam Carter, 4 Rory Arnold, 3 Ben Alexander, 2 Stephen Moore (captain), 1 JP Smith.

Replacements: 16 Josh Mann-Rea, 17 Allan Alaalatoa, 18 Ruan Smith, 19 Blake Enever, 20 Ita Vaea, 21 Jordan Smiler, 22 Joe Powell, 23 Rodney Iona.

Date: Saturday, April 18

Venue: GIO Stadium, Canberra

Kick-off: 19.40 (09.40 GMT)

Referee: Angus Gardner

Assistant referees: James Leckie, Fredrico Anselmi

TMO: George Ayoub