The Western Force face a huge Brumbies back-row blockade as they try to create their own bit of history today - a first-round Super Rugby win.

The Force have not won their opening game in six seasons and Brumbies coach Jake White has come up with a plan be believes will stop them breaking the duck.

He has selected Tongan powerhouse Ita Vaea, skipper Ben Mowen and Peter Kimlin in an attempt to nullify the Force's potent Wallabies back row of captain David Pocock, No.8 Ben McCalman and Matt Hodgson.

But new Force captain Pocock, the best openside flanker in the world, is not overly worried about the challenge of facing the Brumbies trio, who will have a big weight and height advantage.

"Going into every game (at No.7) you are a target for the opposition," he said.

"You just have to focus on doing your own job and working hard for the guys around you.

"Any team coached by Jake White is going to come out firing. That's a non-negotiable. It's going to be a huge challenge."

It will not have escaped White's notice that Pocock faced a similar sized back row in the Wallabies' World Cup 11-9 quarterfinal win over the Springboks last year when he turned in the best performance of the tournament.

New Zealand referee Bryce Lawrence, who is in charge of today's game, was also in control of that clash and was criticised for his handling of Pocock at the ruck.

What many observers ignored was that for most of the game the Springboks' own smaller "fetcher", Heinrech Brussow, had left the field with an injury.

Which is why Force coach Richard Graham is not overly concerned about the size of the Brumbies' back-row trio.

"He (White) has picked a very big back row, a traditional South African back row, without a fetcher or a scavenger," Graham said.

"That probably creates some really good opportunities for us with Hodgson and Pocock and we'll be looking to exploit that."

The back-rowers will still have to be at their best at the breakdown and snaffle turnover or produce quick, recycled ball.

They certainly cannot afford to be as passive in defence as they were against the Queensland Reds in a pre-season trial.

Nor can they afford to get sucked in by the tactics employed by the Reds to nullify them.

The Queenslanders, led by Wallabies captain James Horwill, did everything possible to niggle the back-rowers, both within and outside of the laws of the game.

• FIXTURES *

_Today _: Blues v Crusaders, Brumbies v Western Force, Bulls v Sharks

_Tomorrow _: Chiefs v Highlanders, Waratahs v Reds, Stormers v Hurricanes, Lions v Cheetahs