Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii will line up at fullback in his much-anticipated Super Rugby Pacific debut for the NSW Waratahs on Friday night.

Waratahs coach Dan McKellar has named Suaalii among seven debutants to face the Highlanders in the season opener at Sydney's Allianz Stadium.

After excelling on the Wallabies' spring tour of Europe, the superstar signing will be making his first competitive outing for the Waratahs since switching codes and leaving the NRL's Sydney Roosters last September. With Suaalii to wear the No.15 jumper, fellow Wallabies Andrew Kellaway and Max Jorgensen will be the starting wingers.

Along with Suaalii, the other Waratahs debutants are replacement back Darby Lancaster, props Taniela Tupou and Siosifa Amone, flanker Rob Leota, second-rower Ben Grant and Englishman Jamie Adamson.

Tupou and Leota also joined the Tahs from the Rebels, Amone has defected from the Western Force, Grant arrives from the Hurricanes while Adamson hails from the ranks of Sydney's Shute Shield rugby at Eastern Suburbs.

The Waratahs' round-one team features 12 Wallabies, including 11 in the starting XV.

"I spoke to the players about the fact we've got seven debutants, a head coach on debut, as well as a number of assistant coaches and staff," McKellar said. "It's an exciting time for the NSW Waratahs."

The Waratahs finished 12th last season to take the competition's wooden spoon.

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."

The Western Force have also been bolstered by nine club debutants in their 23-man squad for Saturday's round-one home clash with Moana Pasifika at HBF Park.

Off-season signings Nic Dolly, Darcy Swain, Nick Champion de Crespigny, Vaiolini Ekuasi, Sio Tomkinson, Divad Palu and Mac Grealy will make their Force debuts as starters.

Wallabies winger Dylan Pietsch will make his Force debut off the bench after proving his fitness following a pre-season hand injury.

Five-cap All Blacks prop Atu Moli marks a major storyline having been named for his long-awaited Force debut after overcoming long-term injury struggles including hip surgery midway through last year.

But the Force on Wednesday confirmed they won't have front-rowers Harry Hoopert and Harry Johnson-Holmes available all campaign after both sustained ACL injuries in pre-season.

The Queensland Reds have an opening-round bye.