Two wins from 17 games makes for tough reading for Rebels fans ahead of Friday's match
Melbourne Rebels are adamant NSW Waratahs aren’t their bogey side but face the challenge of trying to neutralise an old teammate in a battle of winless Super Rugby sides.
The only teams with no points after two rounds, the Rebels and Tahs have both leaked 75 points, the most in the competition.
The Waratahs have won 15 of their 17 Super Rugby Clashes with the Rebels, including the past six and have lost just one out of seven in Melbourne back in 2013.
“I don’t think they’re a bogey side,”‘ Rebels’ centre Billy Meakes said prior to Friday’s match at AAMI Park.
“I think we have to recognise that in the past we probably haven’t gone as well as we’d like but we’ve had some great battles with them.
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“It’s nice to face them early in the season and to face them at home.
“We’re confident we can get the job done but we need to be super switched on and have a better start.”
The Waratahs lost a heap of experience after last season and are still trying to find their feet under new coach Rob Penney.
“They’ve got a lot of new things happening there and potentially there’s some opportunities because of that,” Rebels’ coach Dave Wessels said.
Among several changes, the Waratahs will give a run-on debut to Junior Wallabies prop Angus Bell and former Rebels back and Wallaby Jack Maddocks will make his first start for NSW.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B8hZeorgmQP/
“Mad Dog (Maddocks) is very excited to be able to get his first run-on this week, so you can see a new level of buzz around him,” Waratahs fullback and vice captain Kurtley Beale said.
“He’s bringing that extra little energy which is what makes him a quality player, that kind of extra X factor.”
Melbourne are wary of Maddocks’ match-winning capabilities but bear no hard feelings towards him despite him switching teams just three weeks before the season started.”
“It won’t be fiery, Jack is loved by the group here,” Meakes said.
RA leaving no stone unturned. https://t.co/TaqGljfBbi
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 13, 2020
“He’s a great character and I’m super happy for him as he wanted to go home and has ended up at the Tahs.
“He’s an unbelievable player so we will definitely have to keep an eye on him.”
Halfback Ryan Louwrens, openside flanker Richard Hardwick and outside centre Campbell Magnay have been promoted to the Rebels run-on side.
The Tahs have a bye next week and Penney agreed it was “mission critical” for his side to win their first Australian conference game this season.
– AAP
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Comments on RugbyPass
Bar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
35 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
35 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
35 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
35 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
35 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
35 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
35 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
18 Go to comments