Heartbreak for the Rebels after drawing level with six minutes remaining in thrilling finish
After trailing by 12 in the second half, Melbourne had a chance to win it late, but those hopes were dashed when Chiefs were…
Melbourne Rebels coach Rod Macqueen admits fullback Mark Gerrard’s calming effect will be missed as the Super Rugby newcomers deal with an injury crisis.
Gerrard, out for a month after injuring his shoulder in last weekend’s narrow loss to the Sharks, is among a swag of sidelined players as the Rebels prepare for a test of their depth against the Queensland Reds in Brisbane on Friday night.
Lineout specialist Kevin O’Neill, a late withdrawal after aggravating a calf injury in the warm-up for the Sharks game, had an enriched blood injection on Tuesday to try to fast-track his recovery.
But he has been ruled out for the Reds clash at least.
Leading backrowers Gareth Delve and Michael Lipman face fitness tests after suffering knee injuries against the Sharks.
And another four players who were already out of action – James Hilgendorf, Hoani MacDonald, Sam Cordingley and Adam Freier – remain sidelined.
Depth was seen as a potential weakness for the Rebels in their debut season.
Macqueen said while they had stood up well so far in the face of injuries, covering the current toll made Friday’s match a big challenge.
“It’s going to be a good test for us to see what our depth is going to be like,” he said.
Macqueen acknowledged former Wallaby Gerrard’s absence was a tough blow after some impressive performances since his return from Japan.
“No team’s one person and no one’s irreplaceable. But Mark particularly, he’s brought his personality to the side, he’s a cool customer.
“He’s well respected by everyone, he has a tremendous boot on him which has given us another dimension as a side.
“His coolness and experience has been great for us, so we are going to miss that.”
Macqueen said the 34-32 loss to the unbeaten Sharks, after leading by as much as 12 points early in the second half, showed that the Rebels were making progress, but still had plenty to work on.
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.
After trailing by 12 in the second half, Melbourne had a chance to win it late, but those hopes were dashed when Chiefs were…
With the Rebels' future uncertain, the home side used the support of the home crowd to get within three points of the Chiefs in…
After a sloppy pass back into the in-goal, Damian McKenzie and Shaun Stevenson had the perfect clearance to get their side out of trouble.
The Chiefs' try scorer in the first half was soon in the bad books - and as his card remained yellow, Gordon returned from…
With doubt surrounding the club's future and playing possibly their last home game, supporters rose to their feet after 14 minutes, which was the…
Kicking off after the Chiefs scored the first points from a penalty, the ball looked to have been out on the fly, but replays…