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The city end of Swan Street in Richmond in January is a testament to the incomparable passion people in the south have for sport.
The MCG, a mecca of sport in any season, was being prepared for one-day cricket, the tennis precinct was abuzz in anticipation of the Australian Open, and bars were packed to watch both the Melbourne Victory and Melbourne Heart take on their A-League counterparts in Sydney and Perth respectively.
In the midst of all this action, you could be forgiven for not noticing that, as of 7pm on Saturday night, the Melbourne sporting landscape evolved yet again. At Olympic Park, once the cornerstone of the precinct, now a stadium in desperate need of some love and attention, the fifth Australian Super Rugby franchise, the Melbourne Rebels, turned from an idea into a reality.
8,123 people, a brilliant figure for a match that was barely advertised, provided the atmosphere for what turned out to be a very entertaining, if at time error-prone, game of rugby. Both teams played a very forward-oriented game in the first half, which made it hard for either team to gain a foothold on the match, the half-time score of 13-12 in favour of the Tongans being a fair indicator.
The second half, however, was all Melbourne, with the Rebels’ fresh legs helping them score almost at will, keeping Tonga scoreless and running away with the game 43-13. The stars of the day were the NRL converts, former Novocastrian Cooper Vuna scoring a 19-minute hat-trick, and ex-Rooster JP du Plessis, also contributing with a try.
Fans of the Rebels should be thrilled with what they saw in this trial. Melbourne played a very entertaining and attacking form of rugby, and set plays from stoppages were well executed and effective.
Defense, however, could be a worry. Several times Melbourne were only saved from conceding points by Tongan errors. Awareness of where their opponents were at times seemed lacking, and they were often pushed back as far as their defensive 10m line before they could regain some control on proceedings. This could quite fairly be attributed to pre-season ‘rust’, but Rod MacQueen will no doubt address it with his players before their next trial.
In all, though, it was a picture-perfect debut for the new kids on the block. A beautiful Melbourne day, a convincing and well-earned win against a respectable opponent, and a great crowd who, even with a sizable Tongan contingent, were dressed head to toe in Rebel blue.
Melbourne may indeed have a crowded sporting landscape, but if tonight proves any indicator, the Rebels will already have a table reserved for them. Something nice. Near a window.
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.