Western Force v Brumbies
(ME Bank Stadium, Perth - 19.05, 11.05 GMT)

Will he play or won't he?

Hedge all bets on this game until we know whether Matt Giteau will be fit to take his place at flyhalf for the Brumbies.

Matt Toomua has been bracketed alongside Giteau at flyhalf as the Wallaby playmaker races against time to recover from his quad strain, and coach Andy Friend says he will be given until the last minute to prove his fitness.

The Brumbies may well have a formidable line-up this year in any event, but if Giteau is wearing the No.10 jersey it certainly makes them one of the teams to beat.

Wallaby skipper Rocky Elsom, struggling to overcome hamstring irritation, is expected to recover in time to play.

But if ill-fate should befall the Brumbies and both Giteau and Elsom are obliged to withdraw, the chances of a Force victory increase exponentially.

With the iconic Wallaby Giteau having transferred to the Brumbies, the Force imported former Springbok flyhalf André Pretorius as their marquee signing to replace him at pivot, but Pretorius' season-ending hamstring injury mandated a rethink and it is now veteran utility back Mark Bartholomeusz who will play at No.10 for the Force.

Ironically, Bartholomeusz was part of the Brumbies Super 12 winning team in 2004 before moving to Europe, while Giteau has for three years been the most influential Force player.

Both these teams are capable of playing rugby which gives full scope for attacking flair, though Force captain Nathan Sharpe has warned that the Force may this year use a territorial, kicking game more than in the past.

In the four years of the Super 14, each team has won twice, and the points difference, in total over four years, is only 11. On paper the teams seem evenly matched and it could be tight again.

Two 21-year old players new to Super 14 who may be worth watching as they make their way onto the big stage are Brumbies right wing Pat McCabe and, if he comes off the bench for the Force, flank Ben McCalman.

McCabe, a full back or wing, offers a strong running and kicking game and reads play well, while McCalman, a recruitment target for the Force for two years, impressed in the pre-season tri-series games in Cape Town, particularly for his high workrate.

Can the Force win their first game at their new Perth home venue, the Members Equity Stadium?

Skipper Sharpe said this week that he believes the Force can make the tournament final this year, while wily coach John Mitchell says merely: "It has been a good pre-season, but it's now the real deal and we're looking forward to it."

On the prospect of Giteau lining up for the Brumbies, Mitchell was clear: "We're ready whoever turns up," he said.

Super 14 results:

2009: Force won 25-6 (Canberra)
2008: Force won 29-22 (Perth)
2007: Brumbies won 14-12 (Canberra)
2006: Brumbies won 25-10 (Perth)

rugby365 Prediction: If Giteau and Elsom both play, the Brumbies are likely to win by 10 points or more. If Giteau sits out or has to come off during the game, the Force could just edge it.

Update: Matt Giteau withdrew from the Brumbies team on Thursday.

"I'm obviously very disappointed as it was a game I was really looking forward to," said Giteau.

"You want to be available for the first game of the season and when you've got history [with the Force] like I do, it was a match I was really keen to be a part of."

Coach Andy Friend says coaching and medical staff eventually opted to err of the side of caution.

"Matt's one of the best flyhalves in the world so we were keen to give him every opportunity to play. While he did respond well to his rehabilitation, the decision was made not to risk aggravating the injury and sidelining him for an extended period."

Teams:

Western Force: 15 James O'Connor, 14 Dane Haylett-Petty, 13 Ryan Cross, 12 Sam Harris, 11 Cameron Shepherd, 10 Mark Bartholomeusz, 9 Brett Sheehan, 8 Richard Brown, 7 David Pocock, 6 Matt Hodgson, 5 Nathan Sharpe (captain), 4 Sam Wykes, 3 Matt Dunning, 2 Pek Cowan, 1 Nic Henderson.
Replacements: 16 Ben Whittaker, 17 Tim Fairbrother, 18 Richard Stanford, 19 Ben McCalman, 20 Chris O'Young, 21 Mitchell Inman, 22 Josh Tatupu.

Brumbies: 15 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 14 Pat McCabe, 13 Stirling Mortlock, 12 Christian Lealiifano, 11 Francis Fainifo, 10 Matt Toomua, 9 Josh Valentine, 8 Stephen Hoiles (captain), 7 George Smith, 6 Rocky Elsom, 5 Justin Harrison, 4 Mark Chisholm, 3 Guy Shepherdson, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Ben Alexander.
Replacements: 16 Huia Edmonds, 17 Salesi Maafu, 18 Ben Hand, 19 Mitchell Chapman, 20 Patrick Phibbs, 21 Tyrone Smith, 22 Alfi Mafi.

Date: Friday, February 12
Venue: Members Equity Stadium, Perth
Kick-off: 19.05 (11.05 GMT)
Referee: Steve Walsh (Australia)
Assistant referees: Nathan Pearce (Australia), Julian Pritchard (Australia)
TMO: George Ayoub (Australia)