NSW coach Ewen McKenzie is comfortable with the prospect of blooding 18-year-old rookie Rob Horne against the Brumbies on Friday should fullback Lachie Turner fail to recover from a shoulder injury.

Horne, who has already made the Australian Sevens squad, has been bracketed for his Super 14 debut alongside Turner in the Waratahs team for the Sydney Football Stadium fixture.

McKenzie said Turner - who suffered the injury against the Highlanders in Dunedin last Saturday - was getting better, but he would wait until at least Thursday before making a decision.

While Horne was bracketed with Turner, McKenzie confirmed the teenager wouldn't necessarily slot in at fullback if he played.

"We can re-organise things, we've got a lot of adaptability in our backs, so we will have a look at the best way to order things," McKenzie said.

One option McKenzie could consider would be switching Kurtley Beale from five eighth to fullback and using Sam Harris at pivot, which is how they lined up in the final stages of the Dunedin game.

Horne, who stepped up to senior rugby after leaving school a few months ago, said he usually covered the midfield and wing rather than fullback.

He said he never gave any thought to being promoted to the senior side after he heard Turner had been injured.

"Not at all, it's all very unexpected," Horne said.

"It's been amazing straight out of school and straight into training, everything has happened at once."

If Turner plays, McKenzie will send out the same side which started against the Highlanders, with Horne dropping out of the 22.

"I'm pretty comfortable with his development, he's a pretty impressive player and we think that he's got the right stuff for this type of game," McKenzie said.

There could be a change on the bench, where Wallabies front rower Al Baxter has been bracketed alongside Dan Palmer, who made his Super debut off the bench last week.

Baxter missed last week's match with concussion and McKenzie said the Test stalwart would come off the bench if he proved his fitness.

McKenzie said it came as "a bit of a shock" to hear about the brain tumour Brumbies and Wallabies utility back Julian Huxley had been diagnosed with.

"He (Huxley) is one of the nice guys of the game," McKenzie said.

Harris, who played alongside Huxley at schoolboy level, said the news put a bit of a dampener on things at the Waratahs.

"It's a bit of a reality check that this bad news has happened to him and our thoughts are with him and his family as well," Harris said.

The NSW team for Saturday's match is: Lachie Turner/Rob Horne, Timana Tahu, Ben Jacobs, Tom Carter, Lote Tuqiri, Kurtley Beale, Brett Sheehan, Wycliff Palu, Phil Waugh (c), Rocky Elsom, Dan Vickerman, Will Caldwell, Matt Dunning, Adam Freier, Sekope Kepu. Reserves: Tatafu Polota-Nau, Al Baxter/Dan Palmer, Dean Mumm, Beaux Robinson, Luke Burgess, Sam Harris, Alfi Mafi.

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