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Super Rugby gets cracking as Melbourne Rebels take on Western Force at AAMI Park tonight, and both teams will be looking to pull out the gunpowder for their first game. Join us for live scores from 7.40pm AEDT.
You don’t get a more closely matched encounter than between these two in 2012, with the Rebels winning 30-29 in round three and 31-32 in round 13.
The Rebels are an exciting team to watch, and expect to see Kurtley Beale and James O’Connor running about like Energiser bunnies.
Both will be ready to start, despite the latter needing the surgeon’s best work after a face mash-up in last week’s trial, which required stitches in three directions.
O’Connor must be a glutton for punishment; he trades injuries like haircuts.
Beale is in good form, and in last week’s trial against the Hurricanes he copped a spray of appreciation from Melbourne coach Damien Hill.
“He controlled the game exceptionally well with a lot of pressure on him,” said Hill.
“It’s a real credit to the Hurricanes defence but he was able to adjust accordingly and the players outside of Kurtley really benefitted.”
The Rebels play with a lot of self-expression on the grass and they’re not too keen on defence, a mix that generally makes for a bit of fun.
Only the fittest referees should be assigned to their games.
A little bit of chaos is like kryptonite for a team like the Crusaders, who they defeated last year while losing to pretty much everyone else.
That said, the Crusaders don’t go a season without losing to a team on the bottom of the ladder.
Players to watch include Gareth Delve, a man who should have been captaining Wales for the past few years, but instead finds himself leading the Melbourne franchise – Warren Gatland’s loss.
Onto the Western Force, who were left without a coach last year when Richard Graham jumped ship for the Reds, leaving the West Australians swaying in the wind and wondering which karmic forces they’ve meddled with.
The Force will want to take the mantra ‘if you’re going to have a hard time winning the competition, at least try out some enterprising footy’.
The fans will forgive you for not winning, as long as you play an exciting brand of rugby.
Hooker Nathan Charles is giving Wallabies Stephen Moore and Tatafu Polota-Nau a bit of a nudge in the right direction, while new Wallaby Nick Cummins was probably the standout back for the national team in their European tour late last year. He canters about the field like a man possessed.
Of most interest will be the new marquee signing, halfback Alby Mathewson from the Blues. He’s cashed in his chips and is not going for All Blacks selection this year.
With the stock of number nines in New Zealand including Piri Weepu, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, TJ Perenara, Aaron Smith and Andrew Ellis, the only hope for Mathewson to add to his four national caps would be for the team bus to get lost on the way to the game.
Not to say he doesn’t have a load of talent, and he will likely cause issues around the ruck for the Rebels.
Join us at 7.40pm tonight on The Roar, the place to be for live scores and where you can have your say on the go.
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.