The Melbourne Rebels are relishing the chance to measure themselves against another Australian Super Rugby team as they head into a must-win clash with the Waratahs at AAMI Park on Friday night.
The Rebels are winless after opening the season with three games against red-hot Kiwi teams, although they came close to toppling the Chiefs last round before being over-run in the final minutes.
The Rebels are targeting this game against the inconsistent Waratahs, whose season-opening win is their only one of the campaign, as the platform to resurrect their season.
They toppled the Waratahs 21-17 on their home turf in their most recent meeting, in round six last year.
“We’ve come through a hard part of the draw playing the teams who will be there at the business end so we know where we are and how far we are behind those leaders, and it will be good to measure ourselves against another Australian team from them,” said attack coach Morgan Turinui.
“Considering we’re 0-3, this match is hugely important and the way the competition is structured with the Australian conference, the derbies are double points.
“You get the points against the South Africans and Kiwis where you can but there are double points on offer when we play each other because we’re all fighting for that one guaranteed finals spot.”
The Rebels came through the Chiefs match unscathed, although are hopeful of being able to bring Wallabies forward Lopeti Timani (knee), Welsh lock Dom Day (shoulder) and burly centre Mitch Inman (concussion) into the line-up.
Turinui said he was wary about the Waratahs including Test five-eighth Bernard Foley, who has been sidelined with concussion.
“He’s a great player and a calming influence so I think he will give them great direction,” Turinui said of the returning Foley.
“If you look at some of their games maybe they have lacked a tiny bit of composure … he will settle down their footy in attack.
“If we do get the result we know we would have earnt it.”
Timbuktu
Guest
While the Waratahs traditionally do have a slow start to each super rugby season, this season does seem a little more... inept, then usual. The outcome of this Friday may not be pretty! However I dont really agree with your evaluation of a few of the players.. Robinson has been given many chances on the wing over the past year and I have still yet to see really much of anything from him... a nice surprise with his goalkicking, but I would not pick a winger based on that skill. Cam clark looked good while he was out there for a few minutes this season and is definitely worth another shot, and while defensively a bit of a liability, we also have the much larger Taqele Naiyaravoro just waiting to repeat his try-scoring efforts of a few years ago, I personally think he will score more points then he might concede... Although the Waratahs defence has been in shambles this year.... so, fair enough. Wells... well, he has been in and out of the side this year and he has been solid but nothing worth writing about., Dempsey has come along leaps and bounds in the last year, and he could become a real Waratah mainstay in the coming years, an absolute shame to see him get injured. Simone on the other hand had a few flashes of brilliance, but mostly looked out of place, like a small-talented flying fish in a much larger, if somewhat murky pond.
RT
Guest
Anyone who knows me knows I love the Tahs but I think the Rebs will roll them by a handy margin. Much as I like some of the guys on the way up they just don't have the gravitas of recent years. No Beale to unleash Folau, Phipps out of form, foley struggling with concussion, Skelton not the behemoth we thought he was, TPN gone, yarpie hard man gone. If I were playing them I'd think they had talent but no backbone. AND I LOVE THE TAHS. upside is I think Robinson is good and Wells could be something (as with Dempsey and Simone) but tahs may well finish last in the Oz conference this year. All that aside I am looking forward to seeing Gordon start. Btw where is the kiwi u20's captain. Mightn't be great in the scrum but can play footy!