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The Rebels went to the top of the Australian conference with a four-point win over the Waratahs on Sunday, taking their first ever win in Sydney and drawing level at the top with the Brumbies.
Final score
Waratahs 17
Rebels 21
The Waratahs and Rebels will clash in Sydney this afternoon in the last match of an action packed round of Super Rugby. Catch every big hit, try and moment this afternoon from 4:05pm AEST on The Roar.
While both sides come into the matchup with two losses next to their names, the Rebels (13) sit a few points ahead of the Tahs (10) in the standings with both teams sitting mid table after the early goings.
The Rebels are coming into this one off the back of a fairly average performance against last year’s competition winners, the Highlanders, going down by 24 points at home.
Similarly, the Waratahs also produced a pretty sloppy performance last week, but were somehow able to hold on to a two-point victory against their northern neighbours, the Reds.
While both teams will definitely need to improve their current form, the men from NSW can take a lot of confidence into the fixture, having only lost one game to the Rebels in their Super Rugby history.
Team News
Waratahs coach Daryl Gibson has been forced to reshuffle his back line for this week, after injuries to starting centres Kurtley Beale and Rob Horne ruled both Wallabies out of the match with elbow and wrist injuries respectively.
21-year old David Horwitz will get just his third start alongside Matt Carraro as the new centre pairing.
After being dominated and bullied in the scrum last week against the Reds, coach Gibson has called on veteran Benn Robinson to shore up the shaky front row.
The most capped Waratah of all time, Robinson was brought back into the squad last week off the bench but will start against the Rebels at loosehead for this round.
Hugh Roach is the other addition to the front row, replacing an injured Tolu Latu who will miss nearly two months with a torn hamstring.
The other big news for the Waratahs line up is the return of Will Skelton, who was unceremoniously dropped for last week’s game after a poor start to the season. He will come off the reserves bench.
For the Rebels, after starting the last couple of games off the bench, skipper Nick Stirzaker will make his first run on start since his shoulder reconstruction, slotting in at scrum half (halfback for you traditionalists).
Bustling winger Tom English has been ruled out with a knee injury suffered against the Highlanders, making room for former Waratah Cam Crawford.
Reece Hodge has been given the starting slot for fullback, while speed machine Sefa Naivalu will make his long awaited return from a badly broken leg he suffered last season.
Prediction
The Rebels have certainly surprised a lot of people this year with easily their best start to a season since their inception. Travelling north of the border into Waratahs territory will be a tough ask for the young side, with a fiery baby blue outfit looking to push on after a sluggish start to their campaign.
Tight scoreline, free flowing, lots of points, Waratahs win by 9.
Can the Rebels pick up vital points on the road and keep their season running? Or will the Waratahs send a dominant message to the rest of the competition inside their own fortress? Find out this afternoon on The Roar for all the highlights and action from 4:05pm AEST.
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.