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From competition cellar-dwellers in 2017 to play-off hopefuls in 2018, the Rebels will be hoping to continue their sharp turn in fortunes in 2019.
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The Melbourne-based franchise enjoyed a revival of sorts under the stewardship of newly-appointed coach Dave Wessels last year, finishing the campaign in a lot better condition both on and off the field compared to 2017.
The culling of the Western Force wasn’t met kindly by large parts of the Super Rugby faithful, with many believing that the Rebels deserved to be cut due to a financial rut the club found itself in at the time, a poor following of the sport in Melbourne, and an atrocious season that saw them finish with a 1-1-13 record to finish in last place.
2018 needed to be a year where the Rebels stood up and made themselves a side worthy of being apart of the competition, and that they did.
An influx of former Force players – including Wallabies stars Dane Haylett-Petty and Adam Coleman – followed Wessels from Perth to Melbourne, while their presence and ambition within Victoria was enough to secure the signatures of veteran Wallabies halfback Will Genia and former British and Irish Lions lock Geoff Parling.
Those new additions, combined with established squad members such as Amanaki Mafi and Marika Koroibete, brought the best out of a previously stagnant Rebels outfit, which came within a whisker of qualifying for their first-ever play-offs berth.
No. 8 Mafi was particularly outstanding with ball in hand, with the blockbusting Japanese international finishing the year in first place for carries and fourth for metres gained.
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However, an assault charge in the wake of the Rebels’ dismissal from the competition following a defeat at the hands of the Highlanders in the final round was enough to see both Mafi and fellow loose forward Lopeti Timani depart the club in ignominious fashion.
Promising loose forward Colby Fainga’a has also left, signing on with Irish club Connacht, while veterans Parling and prop Laurie Weeks have opted to hang up the boots.
The Rebels have filled the gaps left in the forward pack well though, with the addition of Fijian-born Wallabies prospect Isi Naisarani being their best pick-up.
After impressing in his debut season with the Force in 2017, Naisarani continued his good form with the Brumbies last year, constantly making his presence felt as a barnstorming No. 8 who knows how to bulldoze past the advantage line.
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His addition to the squad makes him a like-for-like replacement to Mafi, which will ease the burden of his loss for the Melbourne franchise.
Auckland, Maori All Blacks and former Brumbies hooker Robbie Abel should also provide a good layer of depth in the front row as he prepares to tussle with Wallabies rake Jordan Uelese and the under-rated Anaru Rangi for a starting role.
The most significant off-season acquisition, however, comes at first-five, with Quade Cooper set to re-take the field after a year-long hiatus from Super Rugby.
His well-documented fallout with Reds coach and former All Blacks enforcer Brad Thorn has seen the 70-test pivot shift south from Queensland in a bid to reignite his World Cup aspirations with the Wallabies.
Set to link up with long-time Reds and Australia teammate and halves partner Genia, the Rebels will be hoping that the duo can combine as they did during the Reds’ golden era at the dawn of the decade, where they claimed their solitary Super Rugby title in 2011.
Should Genia’s tactical astuteness and Cooper’s fleet-footed ability on attack gel together as well as it did all those years ago, then the Rebels can expect to yield a string of positive results and build on their franchise-best performances from last year.
Fellow new signing Matt Toomua should also make an impact as a playmaker from either first or second-five-eighth, although the 42-test Wallaby won’t make an appearance for the Rebels until the conclusion of his Premiership campaign with Leicester Tigers, which will be in late May or early June.
Further out wide, the addition of another former Queenslander in Campbell Magnay from the Japanese Top League should offset the departure of wings Henry Hutchison and Sefa Naivalu to the Australian sevens side and the Reds, respectively.
All in all, the Rebels appear to have a balanced, experienced squad that is operating under the guidance of a smart coach in Wessels.
Provided that they iron out the creases that prevented them from missing out on the play-offs in 2018 – namely a lack of discipline, both on and off the park – then there is more than enough quality within the Melbourne club to mount another strong challenge for the play-offs.
2019 Predictions:
Australian Conference Placing: 2nd
Player of the Year: Will Genia
Rookie of the Year: Trevor Hosea
Best Signing: Quade Cooper
Breakout Player: Campbell Magnay
Squad Movements:
In: Mees Erasmus (Brumbies), Robbie Abel (Auckland), Hugh Roach (Waratahs), Luke Jones (Bordeaux), Isi Naisarani (Brumbies), Brad Wilkin (Waratahs), Quade Cooper (Reds), Matt Toomua (Leicester Tigers), Campbell Magnay (Suntory Sungoliath)
Outs: Tom Maloney (released), Laurie Weeks (retired), Nathan Charles (released), Sama Malolo (released), Mahe Vailanu (Panasonic Wild Knights), Geoff Parling (retired), Colby Fainga’a (Connacht), Lopeti Timani (La Rochelle), Amanaki Mafi (NTT Communications Shining Arcs), Taylor Adams (Southland), Jack Debreczeni (Chiefs), Jack McGregor (Western Force), David Horwitz (Connacht), Hunter Paisami (released), Henry Hutchison (Australia sevens), Sefa Naivalu (Reds)
Squad:
Forwards: Jermaine Ansley, Ben Daley, Mees Erasmus, Pone Fa’amausili, Tetera Faulkner, Fereti Sa’aga, Sam Talakai, Robbie Abel, Anaru Rangi, Hugh Roach, Jordan Uelese, Adam Coleman, Esei Ha’angana, Trevor Hosea, Sam Jeffries, Matt Philip, Angus Cottrell, Richard Hardwick, Ross Haylett-Petty, Luke Jones, Rob Leota, Isi Naisarani, Brad Wilkin
Backs: Will Genia, Harrison Goddard, Michael Ruru, Quade Cooper, Matt Toomua, Reece Hodge, Bill Meakes, Sione Tuipulotu, Semisi Tupou, Tom English, Dane Haylett-Petty, Marika Koroibete, Jack Maddocks, Campbell Magnay
Rugby World Cup City Guides – Oita:
Comments on RugbyPass
Jake White talks more sense than anything I've read in the last 5 years. Hope someone's listening.
9 Go to commentsThe Springboks tried going down the road of only picking home-based players and it was an unmitigated disaster in 2016 and 2017. Picking overseas-based players has been one of the main reason the Boks have done so well since 2018, not only because of the quality Rassie could call on, but because of the knowledge and experience those players brought into camp from England, France and Japan. With some of the big names playing abroad it also gave younger players in SA the chance to break through at franchise level. Would we have seen the emergence of a Ruan Nortje if RG and Lood were still at the Bulls? Not so sure. I understand why Jake would want to block players leaving since his job depends on good results but it’s an approach that would take Bok rugby back to the bad old days and no South African wants to see that.
9 Go to commentsExeter were thumped by 38 points. And they only had to hop on a train.
35 Go to commentsI am De Groot.
1 Go to commentsHad hoped you might write an article on this game, Nick. It’s a good one. Things have not gone as smoothly for ROG since beating Leinster last year at the Aviva in the CC final. LAR had the Top 14 Final won till Raymond Rhule missed a simple tackle on the excellent Ntamack, and Toulouse reaped the rewards of just staying in the fight till the death. Then the disruption of the RWC this season. LAR have not handled that well, but they were not alone, and we saw Pau heading the Top 14 table at one stage early season. I would think one of the reasons for the poor showing would have to be that the younger players coming through, and the more mature amongst the group outside the top 25/30, are not as strong as would be hoped for. I note that Romain Sazy retired at the end of last season. He had been with LAR since 2010, and was thus one of their foundation players when they were promoted to Top 14. Records show he ended up with 336 games played with LAR. That is some experience, some rock in the team. He has been replaced for the most part by Ultan Dillane. At 30, Dillane is not young, but given the chances, he may be a fair enough replacement for Sazy. But that won’be for more than a few years. I honestly know little of the pathways into the LAR setup from within France. I did read somewhere a couple of years ago that on the way up to Top 14, the club very successfully picked up players from the academies of other French teams who were not offered places by those teams. These guys were often great signings…can’t find the article right now, so can’t name any….but the Tadgh Beirne type players. So all in all, it will be interesting to see where the replacements for all the older players come from. Only Lleyd’s and Rhule from SA currently, both backs. So maybe a few SA forwards ?? By contrast, Leinster have a pretty clear line of good players coming through in the majority of positions. Props maybe a weak spot ? And they are very fleet footed and shrewd in appointing very good coaches. Or maybe it is also true that very good coaches do very well in the Leinster setup. So, Nick, I would fully concurr that “On the evidence of Saturday’s semi-final between the two clubs, the rebuild in the Bay of Biscay is going to take longer than it is on the east coast of Ireland”
11 Go to commentsWhat was the excuse for the other knockout blowouts then? Does the result not prove the Saints were just so much better? Wise call to put your eggs in one basket when you’ve got 2 comps simultaneously finishing.
35 Go to commentsReally hope Kuruvoli and his partner rock the Canes.
1 Go to commentsI wonder what impact Samson has had on their attack, as the team seems less prone to trundle it up the middle, take the tackle and then trundle it up again. I lost faith in the coach last year as the Rebelss looked like a 2nd/3rd rate South African team. I also disliked Gordon standing back, often ignored as the forward battle went on and on. Maybe its our Aussie way of not getting off our A***’s until the enemy is at the gate.
86 Go to commentsThanks for the write up. Great to see the Rebs winning, I am a little interested in how they will go against the remaining kiwi teams, I think they’ve only played Hurricanes and Highlanders but how great to see these players performing!! I also see Parling has a job beyond June 30! A good move by RA? Also how do you fix the Rebels previously scratchy defence?
86 Go to commentsbe smart - go black
13 Go to commentsNext week the Crusaders hopefully have Scott Barrett back. Will be great to have the captain back. Hopefully he will be the All Black captain as well.
12 Go to commentsExciting place to be for the young fella. I expected he was French Polynesian when I saw him included in the France 6N squad (after seeing him in NZs), and therefor be strong grounds we might loose him to rugby down here. Good, in that he is good enough to warrant such a profile, and from a journalism’s fan interaction aspect, to finally get a back ground story on the fella. Hope he has settled into NZ OK and that at least one rugby country will fit with him to help his development, which, if so, he should surely continue for a few years, and then that he can experience France to it’s fullest with a bit more maturity and less reliance on family than you would have at his current age. A good 3 or 4 years before he would be ready for International duty if he wanted to wait. Of course he already sounds good enough to accept a call up, and to cap himself, in the more immediate future (he’d have to be very very good in the case of the ABs), and he’ll get a great taste of that being with the Canes who have a bunch who are just a few years further into their career and looking likely Internationals themselves.
13 Go to commentsI remember towards the end of the original broadcasting deal for Super rugby with Newscorp that there was talk about the competition expanding to improve negotiations for more money - more content, more cash. Professional rugby was still in its infancy then and I held an opposing view that if Super rugby was a truly valuable competition then it should attract more broadcasters to bid for the rights, thereby increasing the value without needing to add more teams and games. Unfortunately since the game turned professional, the tension between club, talent and country has only grown further. I would argue we’re already at a point in time where the present is the future. The only international competitions that matter are 6N, RC and RWC. The inter-hemisphere tours are only developmental for those competitions. The games that increasingly matter more to fans, sponsors and broadcasters are between the clubs. Particularly for European fans, there are multiple competitions to follow your teams fortunes every week. SA is not Europe but competes in a single continental competition, so the travel component will always be an impediment. It was worse in the bloated days of Super rugby when teams traversed between four continents - Africa, America, Asia and Australia. The percentage of players who represent their country is less than 5% of the professional player base, so the sense of sacrifice isn’t as strong a motivation for the rest who are more focused on playing professional rugby and earning as much from their body as they can. Rugby like cricket created the conundrum it’s constantly fighting a losing battle with.
9 Go to commentsOh wow… “But as La Rochelle proved in winning in Cape Town this season, a cross-continental away assignment need not spell the end of days.” La Rochelle actually proved quite the opposite. After traveling to Cape town and back they (back-to-back and current champs) got mercilessly thumped the next week. If travel is not the reason, why else would a full-strength powerhouse like La Rochelle get dumped on their @r$e$ one week later?
35 Go to commentsYou know he can land a winning conversion after the full time siren is up. (Even if it takes two attempts.)
5 Go to commentsA very insightful article from Jake. I would love to know how South African’s feel about their move to Europe. Do you prefer playing in Europe or want to go back to Super Rugby?
9 Go to commentspure fire
1 Go to commentsA very well thought out summary of all the relevant complications…agree with your ”refer the Cricket Test versus 20/20 comparison”. More also definitely doesn't necessarily mean better!
9 Go to commentsMust be something when you are only 19 y.o and both NZ and France want you. Btw he wasn’t the only new caledonian in french U20 as Robin Couly also lived in Noumea until 17. Hope he’s successful wherever he chooses to play.
13 Go to comments“Several key players in the Stade Rochelais squad are in their thirties” South Africans are going to hate the implications of that comment!
11 Go to comments