NSW Waratahs

The round 12 Super Rugby Pacific match at Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland is significant for Sekope Kepu as he will play against the team he served for 141 games.

It could also be a milestone game for Christian Leali'ifano who is just nine points away from reaching 1,000 Super Rugby points.

There are three changes to the team that narrowly lost to the Melbourne Rebels 26-22 last weekend.

Perese has agreed to move to France last May after his options were closed off in Australia after he fell out of favour with the Broncos and was stood down following an arrest for drugs possession.

However, he failed to settle comfortably enough in the south of France, featuring in just five Top 14 games (three as a starter in the midfield) and picking up two yellow cards. He headed home to Australia last month and has now started training with the Waratahs in the hope of reviving a career that was tipped for great heights.

Now it's potentially double trouble for the bottom-placed and soon-to-be-extinct Sunwolves, with Folau's younger brother John in line to make his NSW Waratahs debut at Newcastle's McDonald Jones Stadium.

John Folau, in his maiden season at the Waratahs after switching codes from rugby league, was promoted to the bench on Thursday after winger Curtis Rona was ruled out with a groin injury.

While Alex Newsome will start as Rona's replacement, the 24-year-old Folau is almost certain to be unleashed on the Sunwolves at some point in the second half.

After losing their last three matches in their worst ever start to the season, Gibson revved up his troops, who were trailing 25-6 at AAMI Park, and they responded with four second-half tries to snatch the victory.

It was sealed in the 80th minute when the Waratahs took advantage of the Rebels losing Colby Fainga'a to a yellow card and Sefa Naivalu down with a dislocated shoulder.

Centre David Horwitz ran on to a Nick Phipps pass and threw a dummy before scooting through some skinny defence for the match-winner.