The Queensland Reds will blood Australia Under-18s duo Treyvon Pritchard and Finn Mackay in the backline for Saturday's clash against the Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights in Toowoomba.
The selection of the 18-year-old pair is an exciting endorsement of their potential and progress through the Australia U18s and the Buildcorp Reds Academy.
Pritchard was playing for Anglican Church Grammar School in the GPS First XV competition only last month before his starring role in two big wins by the Australia U18s over the New Zealand Schoolboys in Canberra.
The smooth-moving Pritchard will play fullback in Toowoomba while flyhalf Mackay will form a new halves partnership with halfback James Martens.
The Reds team will be co-captained by experienced centre Isaac Henry and flanker Tom Robinson, last year's Australia U18s captain.
Henry, centre partner Dre Pakeho and winger Heremaia Murray will share their valuable Super Rugby experience in a youthful backline.
The recent Super Rugby AUS competition has hardened the likes of Charlie Brosnan, Vaiuta Latu, Robinson and Trevor King for their jobs in the pack.
Prop George Blake, hooker Theo Fourie and replacement prop Jeffery Toomaga-Allen will provide experience up front while 2025 Reds debutant Nick Bloomfield will return from injury off the bench.
The Reds will be playing in Toowoomba for the first time in 12 years in this match which is being staged alongside eight world-class women's sevens matches.
"As a coaching team, it's been really pleasing to see the growth of those players who performed exceptionally against NZ Schools. Their training has been superb since joining us," Reds Head Coach Les Kiss said.
"A lot of credit is due Australia U18s coach Dale Roberson, our Reds Academy coach, because they have been prepared knowing our systems and ways.
"It's especially exciting to see Finn and Treyvon with this chance. They haven't just brought enthusiasm to training but attention to the the detail of our game plan.
"For Finn, at No.10, he'll have centres outside him in Dre and Isaac, who both have Super Rugby experience."
Kiss highlighted the importance of the annual matches against the Wild Knights, well steered by former Wallabies coach Robbie Deans.
"We see the development value of these games every season. Heremaia debuted for the Reds in Japan last year and the likes of Massimo De Lutiis, John Bryant, Tim Ryan and Harry McLaughlin-Phillips did so in my first match as Reds coach in 2023," Kiss said.
"The cultural experience of these games is one of the unique parts of rugby and I know Robbie and I appreciate this ongoing Reds-Wild Knights relationship in the same way."
This will be the first match in Toowoomba for the Reds since 2013. On that occasion, the crowd thrilled to a 12-try spectacle with the Reds winning 41-35 over the Auckland-based Blues in a pre-season match. Around 3000 local fans left the ground happy.
This is the fourth year of matches between the Reds and Wild Knights which have a symbolism beyond rugby. It is 41 years since the sister state relationship was forged between Queensland and Saitama.
All the previous clashes have been free-flowing, try-filled contests for the fans with previous matches played in Japan (2022 and 2024) and Brisbane (2023).
The two-day Downs International Rugby Weekend at Toowoomba Sports Ground, staged by Downs Rugby, will feature elite women's sevens on Friday plus more sevens action on Saturday either side of the Reds match (3pm AEST).
The champion Australian team, Olympic gold medallists New Zealand and the USA will showcase the best of women's sevens in a triangular series across October 17 and 18 in the Mort & Co International Women's Rugby Sevens tournament.
Tickets are on sale through Ticketek.
Queensland Reds vs Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights
3pm AEST, Saturday, October 18
Toowoomba Sports Ground
Queensland Reds
1 George Blake - Bond University
2 Theo Fourie - Brothers
3 Trevor King - Souths
4 Charlie Brosnan - Brothers
5 Jack Brady - University of Queensland
6 Tom Robinson (co-capt) - University of Queensland
7 Kohan Herbert - Souths
8 Vaiuta Latu - Brothers
9 James Martens - GPS
10 Finn Mackay - Souths
11 Xavier Rubens - Souths
12 Dre Pakeho - Brothers
13 Isaac Henry (co-capt) - Wests
14 Heremaia Murray - Bond University
15 Treyvon Pritchard - Anglican Church Grammar School
Replacements
Zac Hough - University of Queensland
Harrison Usher - Bond University
Nick Bloomfield - Easts
Ollie Harris - Norths
Jeffery Toomaga-Allen - Norths
Will Ross - Brothers
Hamish Muller - Brothers
Graham Urquhart - Brothers
Tom Howard - University of Queensland
Josh Takai - Brothers
DOWNS INTERNATIONAL RUGBY WEEKEND + MORT & CO INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S RUGBY SEVENS TOURNAMENT
Friday, October 17
11am: USA vs NZ (7s)
1pm: Australia vs NZ (7s)
3pm: USA vs NZ (7s)
5pm: Australia vs USA (7s)
Saturday, October 18
9:30am: Australia vs USA (7s)
Local Sevens
11:30am: NZ vs USA (7s)
Local Sevens
1:45: Australia vs NZ (7s)
3pm: Queensland Reds vs Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights (Japan)
5:15pm: Australia vs NZ (7s)
