Former NRL star Cooper Vuna will make his return from Super Rugby suspension against NSW on Saturday night at Allianz Stadium.

The ex-Warriors and Newcastle Knights winger has been named on the Melbourne Rebels’ interchange bench and is likely to be injected into the action as an impact player.

Melbourne desperately need a derby win on the road to stay alive in the Australian Conference, while the Waratahs have a chance to potentially take the lead if they can record a victory.

The match represents the 50th Super Rugby cap for prop Rodney Blake and the first time ex-Waratah Kurtley Beale will line-up against his former teammates.

Luke Jones moves from flanker to lock, while Michael Lipman gets his starting chance at No.7.

Mitch Inman’s broken hand injury opens the way for Victorian-born centre Lloyd Johansson to return to the starting side at No.13.

The Rebels have maintained the same playmaking combination of Nick Phipps at halfback, Danny Cipriani at five-eighth and James O’Connor at inside centre.

Kurtley Beale, Lachlan Mitchell, Lloyd Johansson, James O’Connor, Mark Gerrard, Danny Cipriani, Nick Phipps, Gareth Delve (capt), Michael Lipman, Jarrod Saffy, Hugh Pyle (vc), Luke Jones, Rodney Blake, Ged Robinson, Nic Henderson. Res: Luke Holmes, Jono Owen, Al Campbell, Tim Davidson, Richard Kingi, Julian Huxley, Cooper Vuna