ACT Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham on Wednesday named six debutants for his side’s season opener against the Fijian Drua in Suva on Saturday.

Austin Anderson, an ACT academy graduate, will start at inside centre to make not only his Brumbies but also his Super Rugby Pacific debut.

Anderson will join tighthead prop Feao Fotuaika and loose forward Tuaina Taii Tualima, who make their club debuts having arrived from Lyon and the Rebels respectively in the off-season.

Lington Ieli, Judah Saumaisue and Kadin Pritchard are also set for their Brumbies and Super Rugby debuts off the bench.

Ieli and Pritchard progressed through the Brumbies’ elite development program while Saumaisue joined the club from the Rebels at the end of last season.

Larkham has made just three changes to the starting line-up that beat the Western Force 45-12 in a trial last Friday, with hooker Billy Pollard, Fotuaika and Anderson coming into the team.

The Brumbies boss is under no illusions about his side’s challenge in Fiji, with only one visiting side winning there in each of the past two seasons.

“Dealing with the crowd, the heat and the humidity, we’ve heard plenty of stories about the crowds over there and the noise they bring to the stadiums,” he said.

“So we’ll be doing our best to keep their fans quiet and let our rugby do the talking.”