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The Melbourne Rebels have let a second-half lead slip, falling 34-17 against the Lions in South Africa.
Leading 17-14 with 25 minutes left to play, the Rebels failed to secure what would have been a strong away win, they are now left scratching their head, the wooden spoon a possibility with the Rebels facing the Bulls next round.
FINAL SCORE:
Lions – 34
Rebels – 17
The Melbourne Rebels travel to the high veldt in the first leg of their South African tour to face the Lions in Johannesburg.
Tune into The Roar from 3:10am for live scores of the match, and what is sure to be plenty of banter in the comments section below.
The Rebels are coming off a walloping from a rampant Reds side from last week, and have had to endure the gruelling flight across the Indian Ocean to the Republic. Not many are going to be tipping them to defeat a Lions side who haven’t played since the break, with the Springboks taking on Scotland last weekend.
The Lions will be buoyed by their last performance in South Africa against the Bulls, where they got away with an unexpected win. Their latest two games, however, were not so happy going, losing to both the Force and the Waratahs on their Australian road trip.
They will fancy themselves against a tired Rebels side, and have been installed as relatively strong favourited by the bookies.
Neither team is playing for a spot in the finals anymore, but the Lions will want to finish above the Cheetahs on the ladder, while the Rebels are battling with both sides for the Wooden spoon.
Defeat here may seal their fate at the bottom of the ladder.
A proud side, the Rebels will want to avoid that at all costs.
They will fancy themselves to run the ball at the Lions, using their size in midfield with Mitch Inman, Tamati Ellison and Scott Higginbotham to get the ball over the gain line.
Jack Debreczeni will take over the goal kicking duties from Jason Woodward, the Rebels highest point scorer for the season, after the New Zealand-bound fullback was dropped due to form concerns by coach Tony McGahan.
The Rebels will be looking for an improved performance from the youngster, who struggled to make an impact last weekend.
Join us on The Roar from 3:10am for all the live scores and banter.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.