The subtle swipe was not lost on Coleman, who is acutely aware of second-season syndrome. He picked the Waratahs up off the mat and took them to a quarter-finals spot in his first year and knows it will tough to keep up that trajectory.

“Last year I felt that this corresponding (trial) game was a lot more important to us than it was to them,” Coleman said.

“They were in a comfortable place and we were trying to gain some confidence and get our mojo back, whereas this year we’re definitely coming in focused on the season proper, but we also know there’s always that intense interstate rivalry.

“Brad made mention of the fact we’ve had a lot of positive things said about our team and I’m sure he’ll be using that as motivation to get his guys to try to bring us down a peg and gain confidence against us.”

He is expected to name Holloway in the second row alongside Ned Hanigan, with a back row of Lachie Swinton at No.6, Charlie Gamble at No.7 and Will Harris at the back of the scrum. Gamble and Harris have both added size in the off-season in line with Coleman’s requirement the team “power up” to go toe to toe with the top New Zealand sides.

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Captain Jake Gordon will play his first game since last year’s Wallabies spring tour and Ben Donaldson and Tane Edmed will both play a half at five-eighth, swapping back to fullback and inside centre, respectively, when the other is in the playmaking saddle.

Two of last year’s Test standouts, centre Lalakai Foketi and winger Mark Nawaqanitawase, will also start in the back line.

Meanwhile, the Rebels will look to a trimmed-down Trevor Hosea to have a bigger presence as they try to get their Super Rugby Pacific season off to a flying start.

Opening 2022 with five losses, the Rebels were left chasing the pack last year and now coach Kevin Foote is determined they hit the ground running in their round-one clash with the Western Force in Perth on February 25.

They take on the Brumbies this Saturday in Wagga Wagga in their final trial. With Wallabies second rower Matt Philip sidelined after a serious knee injury last October, Hosea is set for more game time.

“Last year we didn’t start well and by the back end we were finding some momentum and I want to learn from that and start well this year,” Foote said.

with AAP

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