9/04/2009 12:00:00 AM

Heaven help the first Cape Town Stormers player to carry the ball towards the ACT Brumbies defence on Saturday night.

Brumbies assistant coach Owen Finegan said yesterday he expected the raw emotions of grief to carry onto the field at Canberra Stadium less than a week after rookie forward Shawn Mackay's death in South Africa.

The Brumbies gathered together yesterday for their first training session since they learned of Mackay's death on Monday afternoon. They conducted a short skills session at the Australian Institute of Sport.

Despite all players being offered the opportunity to opt out of playing, all fit players nominated themselves for selection.

Former player and now forwards coach Finegan said the already close squad would ''band together'' tighter than ever before for the match.

While he expected players would try to put their feelings of sorrow, anger, frustration and disbelief aside, Finegan said their emotion would carry into the performance.

''I've been playing rugby since I was four years old, over 30 years, and I don't think I've experienced this sort of devastation the week before a game,'' Finegan said.

''There's no textbook on how you prepare as a player, a coach or a team for this and I'm sure the emotions off the field will carry through onto it.

''It's about harnessing it the best way we can as a team. It's hard to know how it'll go, and it's not a one-week solution either. We'll face the same problem or different problems next week and for the rest of the year and into the future.

''You just know that everyone is going to be emotional. The only comfort we can have is that the majority of us believe Macca will be out there with us.''

Brumbies head coach Andy Friend will name his team this morning and is expected to name Peter Kimlin alongside Ben Hand in the second row as a replacement for injured Wallabies lock Mark Chisholm. Australian Sevens player Henry Vanderglas is likely to join the bench and earn his first Super 14 cap.

Chisholm, who stayed behind in South Africa for wrist surgery, is due to return to Australia today, along with team manager Rob McQuade and team doctor Warren McDonald.

Despite having dealt with major off-field dramas in the lead-up to games during his long playing career, Finegan said it was impossible to predict how the team would perform on Saturday.

''It'll be a learning curve the whole way through. As coaches we've got to get people as switched onto the game as you can, try to have a business as usual approach.

''I'm sure we're not going to try to reinvent the wheel this week as far as a new playbook. As much as you can, get people's minds on the job.''

Stormers coach Rassie Erasmus has made just one change to the team which lost to the NSW Waratahs in Sydney last weekend.

Loosehead prop JD Moller has been promoted from the bench in place of Wicus Blaauw, who has been bracketed alongside Schalk Ferreira pending Blaauw's recovery from a calf injury.

Brumbies captain Stephen Hoiles, who is hopeful of returning from injury in the next fortnight, said he had faith that his players would honour Mackay and his family with a strong performance.

''That's what we do, we play football. It's something to focus on, the Stormers, and to put in a good performance for the whole community that's been affected by this would be a pretty special thing.

''Win, lose or draw I think they're going to do everyone very proud this weekend.''

As a tribute to Mackay, the players will wear black arm bands for the rest of the season, while there will also be a minute's applause at this Saturday's match.

SATURDAY
ACT Brumbies vs Cape Town Stormers, Canberra Stadium, 5.35pm.

Brumbies: Mark Gerrard, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Stirling Mortlock, Tyrone Smith, Alfi Mafi, Christian Lealiifano, Joshua Holmes; Julian Salvi, George Smith (capt), Mitchell Chapman, Peter Kimlin, Ben Hand, Guy Shepherdson, Stephen Moore, Ben Alexander. Res: Huia Edmonds, Salesi Ma'afu, Sitaleki Timani, Henry Vanderglas, Patrick Phibbs, Gene Fairbanks, Francis Fainifo.



Stormers: 15. Conrad Jantjes, 14. Wylie Human, 13. Gcobani Bobo, 12. Jean De Villiers (C), 11. Sireli Naqelevuki, 10. Peter Grant, 9. Ricky Januarie, 8. Luke Watson, 7 Duane Vermeulen, 6. Schalk Burger, 5. AJ Venter, 4. Adriaan Fondse, 3. Brian Mujati, 2. Schalk Brits, 1. JD Moller. Res: 16. Tiaan Liebenberg, 17. Wicus Blaauw / Schalk Ferreira, 18. Hilton Lobberts, 19. Francois Louw, 20. Dewaldt Duvenage, 21. Willem De Waal, 22. Dylan Des Fountain


http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news...px?storypage=0

---------- Post added at 14:44 ---------- Previous post was at 13:29 ----------

Henry Vanderglas looks to be a promising young player... He had a good run at the 7s...