The Melbourne Rebels host the Wellington Hurricanes at AAMI Park in Melbourne tonight, with both sides coming off close losses last weekend in games they could have won. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 7:40pm (AEST).
The Hurricanes loss and the Chiefs victory last week means the Hurricanes have lost their top spot in the New Zealand conference.
They now sit seventh overall, with the Crusaders’ large victory against the Brumbies moving them alongside the Hurricanes on 26 points, but giving them a better differential and sixth spot.
The Rebels are currently sitting in 11th overall, but ladder positions and the thought of easy wins over teams sitting near the bottom have gone out the window in this year’s competition. It certainly is the closest competition for some time, and any team is a live chance in every game.
Tonight’s match will be just the third between the Hurricanes and the Rebels, with both teams having a win apiece.
Both sides have had to make changes due to injury. The Rebels have lost halfback Nic Stirzaker to an ankle injury and will look to Luke Brugess to fill the gap. The only other change from the team that lost to the Sharks is the inclusion of Pat Leafa for Shota Horie.
The Hurricanes have lost Jeremy Thrush, who will be replaced by Blade Thomson in the starting team. The Hurricanes have also had a reshuffle in the pack, with Reggie Goodes slotting into loosehead prop for Ben Franks, who moves to tighthead in place of Jeffery Toomaga-Allen.
One of the interesting aspects of this clash is the differing styles that both teams play – the Rebels favour a defence-based game, while the Hurricanes go for all-out attack.
If the Hurricanes can unleash Julien Savea and Alapati Leiua, it will certainly keep the Rebels busy. The Rebels do have a great midfield defence in Mitch Inman and Tamati Ellison, and the match could be decided on how well this Rebels pair can stop the Hurricanes onslaught.
This is a tough match to predict, but I think that the Hurricanes will get past the Rebels. If their forwards can deliver them some quick ball, the Hurricanes backs will give them the advantage.
Doug
Guest
I think the better team won last night. But damn that ref annoyed the hell out of me. He started okay but for the last 10 minutes of the first half and most of the second half I could have sworn he was getting paid per penalty against the Rebels. When the Rebels had the ball the 'Canes could hang on and play the ball without supporting their weight. When the 'Canes had the ball the Rebels weren't allowed the same latitude. If I took off my Rebels supporter blinkers I might admit a few were legit but not all of them. Then mysteriously at the end he started pinging the 'Canes. I'm not sure Conrad deserved a 10 minute break if he did why not some of the Rebels. And the Rebels threw a lot of very flat passes.
Peter Breckenridge
Roar Guru
Glad you enjoyed it :-)
mattocks
Guest
the websites say he is an aussie. comes from refereeing sevens apparently.
Old Bugger
Guest
pk please tell me the Rebels ref was an aussie cos IMO, I saw a similar display of pedantic calls in the Chiefs game and he was a kiwi.
Highlander
Guest
Single best display from an Aussie tighthead in a long time
Garth
Guest
Thought they were quite balanced, myself. However, the comparison is Kearns & Martin, so it's understandable why Gregan & co sounded pro- Hurricanes.
jeznez
Roar Guru
Reminds me of Ewen leaving the Tahs. In that final year the team was playing pretty ugly rugby, the board said they were letting his contract expire at year end and not renewing and the shackles came off the team and we made the Final. Sometimes a coach with nothing left to lose makes better team decisions than one trying to save his job.
jeznez
Roar Guru
Haven't been to the Stockade but thought the Rebel Army were one of the better sets of supporters in Oz. I'm a Tahs man and it sounds like your experience was as bad as one of our games. I have to assume the problem lies in your first seven words. We all know that 'Members are W............s'. Give them another try and if there was any one raucous there last might go sit in that area next time.
moaman
Guest
" Hurricane" ? ;-) You would think that would be on Digger's ipod.....
moaman
Guest
It occurred to me that perhaps Hammett relaxed, once he had made his decision, and that somehow the chemistry between coach & team improved.
Digby
Roar Guru
Haha! Funnily enough that also had some air time as well last night. ;) Quite like the Mumford and Sons version, worth a listen.
Kuruki
Roar Guru
This is one of my pet hates also. I can't stand it when a tackler gets up and just grabs onto the ball carrier and holds on making no attempt to even go for the ball then gets a penalty for it. The refs really need to sharpen up and they should not be blowing the whistle for anything unless they have seen it happen. If they remove speculation and only blew the whistle when they were 100% sure, things would progress nicely.
Kuruki
Roar Guru
It wasn't until Hammet resigned that his team started to play well. As a coach your job is not only technical it's the mental approach as well. It took his "resignation" to fire up his side, before that they were a rabble. So yes, Hammet needed to be sacked and he was.
jeznez
Roar Guru
I am older than I once was and younger than I'll be........that's not unusual! Took me a minute to place your song. My immediate reaction took me to a Bob Dylan song about a boxer, which is a completely different song but ties to your winning team!
SAVAGE
Guest
Yeah, I still do, where was this game last year? Where was it at the beginning of this year? It's taken four years to get to the stage they're at now. TBH if they make the finals, they won't be around for long. That forward pack, will get found out.........but hey, everyone in Wellington has known that for the last four years.
Daws
Guest
This has always confused me a little bit. Sometimes the tackled player holds on to the ball for an eternity and then plays it backwards after waiting for his support. That seems to me like playing the ball off your feet. So it's pretty hard for the ref to decide whether the pillager is being overzealous (by not showing clean hands before attempting to steal the ball for example), or the tackled player is holding on. On the Savea attempt, I think he would have dislodged the ball but whether or not he would have won it remains speculation.
Kane
Guest
he is resigning at the end of the season before he was going to be sacked
Buzzard
Guest
Anyone reckon Hammett should be sacked?
Daws
Guest
Well done Canes, deserved the win. Rebels getting closer all the time, they will crack it soon!
David
Guest
At the game in the members area as a hurricanes fan - Wellingtonian - Born and breed, living in Melbourne. Dull environment, surrounded by fans with no vocals except one gentleman with an un-gentleman like vocabulary. And I got told off for my 'Hurricanes' Chat and a few calls of 'Upper Hutt' and 'Silverstream' when Woodward was preparing to kick - not during. If the rebels crowd is this precious and DULL there is no hope.