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Rebels rising from the canvas - Season Review

By Ben Smith
The Rebels fought hard to bring their franchise back from the cellar.

The influx of playing personnel from the west saw the Rebels instantly become one of the favourites in the Australian conference this season. Along with rising coach Dave Wessels, this new Force-Rebels outfit immediately looked better on paper.

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Six months later the Rebels have proved they are in a better place, despite missing out on their first finals appearance and finishing 7-9. This has been a marked improvement for the side that won one game in 2017 and finished with a points differential of -333 under the previous coach Tony McGahan.

The challenges for Wessels were of a different kind this year – expectations were suddenly high given the concessions provided to the franchise. In addition to being given the right to stay in the competition over the Force, they were expected to win given the quality of their roster, which is not easy when effectively merging two team cultures. A number of the previous squad remained, who were not accustomed to winning.

Their opening round 45-19 blowout of a 14-man Reds team showed this team had potential, but after a fast start, the side fell apart in the middle stretch and over the final three games which ultimately cost them a finals spot.

Wessels deserves a lot of credit for lifting this franchise off the canvas and building a foundation to climb from. A lot of talent doesn’t automatically equal success, but he has this team trending in the right direction.

Heading into year two the franchise may have some headwinds from the salary cap concessions offered to deal with the oversupply of Force players looking for a second home. 2019 is expected to return to a hard cap, which could have some implications for the Rebels who ended up with a treasure chest of Wallabies. Rebels boss Baden Stephenson told The Australian that cap concerns were overblown as the side always has extra cap room as a result of spending less on players, and the assistance of Rugby Australia top-ups helped them accommodate their Wallabies.

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The team is expected to offload Japanese international Amanaki Mafi, who will return to Japan in the lead-up to the World Cup. His post-season arrest in New Zealand will only support the decision to let him go. The expected arrival of Brumby Isi Naisarani will soften the loss of Mafi and re-unite the Fijian backrower with his ex-Force head coach.

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The marquee signing of former Wallaby Matt Toomua gives the team a figurehead at 10 or 12, but the side will be without him until the last few rounds as he completes his Leicester Tigers commitments. Toomua’s signing is more beneficial for the Wallabies than the Rebels at this point.

Uncapped youngster Jack McGregor, Tayler Adams and the maligned Jack Debreczini remain unsigned for 2019, leaving a gaping roster hole at flyhalf. Makeshift flyhalf Reece Hodge is still under contract and could fill that place, but there will likely be decisions made in the coming months to retain one or more of them. It might be a position the team leaves open and looks to plug following the NRC season.

The return of Will Genia was a masterstroke. Adding one of the best playmaking halfbacks in World Rugby ignited the Rebels set-piece play and gave the side consistency and ruck speed, which they lacked previously. He will be back to finish off his two-year commitment to Rugby  Australia and shapes as the key man for the Rebels.

The midfield benefited from the addition of underrated Billy Meakes, who formed a partnership with Tom English for the majority of the season. Meakes is confirmed for next season but English remains uncontracted. The Rebels have a host of young centres coming through the system in the form of Australian age grade reps Sione Tuipulotu and Hunter Paisami, as well as Semisi Tupou.

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Tuipulotu, in particular, has been sitting in the wings for some time now since his debut in 2016. The first Victorian homegrown Rebels player must make the step up in 2018 and become a regular starter, which might see English let go with the wing stocks already full.

Jack Maddocks has kept Wallaby Sefa Naivalu on the bench all year, while Marika Koroibete, also off-contract after this season, has held the other flank. Jack Maddocks shapes as the future of the Rebels, and is rumoured to be in the mix to play flyhalf long-term. His preferred position of fullback will be filled by Dane Haylett-Petty for the foreseeable future, who also returns next season.

The Rebels should be able to field one of the best backlines in Australia again next year and build on the chemistry they started to find this season. Their set-piece attack has been the best in the Australian conference, with expansive and intricate plays becoming part of the team’s identity.

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The pack next year will miss Mafi’s carries, along with flanker Colby Fa’ainga, English lock Parling, and young lock Timani who is off to France. The front row has been a problem for the Rebels, no better example than in the penultimate round when they were absolutely dominated by Tongan Thor Taniela Tupou and the Reds.

First choice hooker Jordan Uelese will return from an ACL injury that he suffered against the Blues, which came shortly after returning from shoulder rehabilitation. The side hasn’t decided on whether to keep his backup Anaru Rangi around but with injury clouds over Uelese, the Rebels need to find an answer.

Captain and Wallaby lock Adam Coleman will again hold down the second row and lineout. Young Australian under-20’s rep Trevor Hosea could make the step up next year and partner with Coleman, the young 2.02m 110kg lock is a special player that can add some dynamic play to the Rebels pack.

They were able to sweep conference rivals the Brumbies this year, but got swept themselves by the Waratahs, they finished 1-1 with the Reds and comfortably beat the Sunwolves. The side will need to find a way to beat the conference winning Waratahs next season.

The home loss to the Jagaures in hindsight ended up proving costly, and the side must make sure they get the results in winnable home clashes next year. They also finished their South African tour with no profit, failing to get any competition points on the trip to the Republic.

Their biggest concerns heading into the offseason are the strength of the pack, especially in the front row, and who will play flyhalf. The Rebels will need to be active in the recruitment market for a high profile signing or find a few gems during the NRC season.

The side will be much better placed to continue their rise with a year under their belt, but their schedule will provide stiffer competition. They have the four strongest Kiwi teams and miss playing the Blues, although playing the Stormers and Bulls at home provides winnable games against the South African conference.

This team was the best Rebels side yet, equalling the most wins the franchise has had in a season and finishing the highest they ever have on the ladder. They also scored by far the most points in a season by any Rebels side (440).

This team has found some fight and will look to go into deeper rounds next year.

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A
Adrian 21 minutes ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

6 Go to comments
T
Trevor 3 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
B
Bull Shark 7 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

29 Go to comments
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