It’s early days, but the Melbourne Rebels look like serious contenders to at least top the Aussie conference in Super Rugby 2018.
Essentially a merged entity that’s taken all the best bits from the defunct Western Force, including captain Adam Coleman and coach David Wessels, Melbourne are playing with an organised, composed muscularity that they’ve simply not had before.
It’s not so much that they’ve achieved two bonus-point wins from their opening two games, it’s the manner that they’ve done so that suggests Victorians might need to squeeze in another oval-ball code to get excited about this year.
Twelve tries and 82 points for, versus five tries and 36 points against, is a dominant start in anyone’s language.
But before we get too carried away there are mitigating factors to address.
The opening game, at home against the Reds, was cruelled as a contest ten minutes after it started courtesy of the red card dished out to Queensland skipper Scott Higginbotham for a high tackle.
The Rebels had the numbers further stacked in their favour when Reds second rower Lukhan Tui was sin binned for a tip tackle.
This did rather take the gloss off the seven tries the Rebels mustered, a record for the franchise. However, those tries don’t score themselves and there were some real pearlers among them off a well-laid platform.
It’s hard to see the Reds changing the result of that match had they kept their full complement on the park.
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Their win on Saturday was against the lowly Sunwolves, albeit away in Tokyo. Despite all their pluck, courage, fitness and skill, the Japanese team still struggles to get the fundamentals, like lineouts, right often enough to be a consistent threat.
Despite this and a growing injury crisis, the Sunwolves delighted their home fans by keeping the Rebels to 10-all at halftime. Sadly for the crowd, three quick-fire tries in the minutes following the resumption put the game beyond doubt.
It’s worth remembering here that the Brumbies only just managed to subdue the Sunwolves a week earlier.
Of all the stellar off-season signings, Will Genia demonstrated on Saturday why his signature is the most important for the Rebels, with a display that showed he’s picking up from where he left off for the Wallabies last year, and is back to his world-class best.
Revelling in the set-piece dominance, the No. 9 was cutting capers all over the place, was instrumental in Sefa Naivalu’s try and all three of the highly impressive Jack Maddoks’.
Big, fast, direct and possessing a nose for the tryline, Maddocks has a touch of a young Joe Roff about him.
Good teams are built around strong spines and when you look at the backbone of this Rebels outfit, it’s hard to argue there’s any stronger in the Aussie conference.
From freshly minted Wallabies hooker Jordan Uelese to Coleman to the immense Amanaki Mafi at No.8, to Genia, to a growing-in-confidence Jack Debreczeni at 10, to Reece Hodge outside of him, to Dane Haylett-Petty at the back, there’s quality everywhere.
Throw in the bruising Lopeti Timani at blindside, the said two flyers out wide, reserve midfielder Billy Meakes, former British and Irish Lions lock Geoff Parling and Wallabies winger Marika Koroibete, due back from injury this week, and you’re talking serious cattle.
Marika Koroibete (Photo by Johan Pretorius/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
The subtext to Saturday’s game was Super Rugby truncation (the concentration of talent from two franchises into one) represented by the Rebels vs Super Rugby expansion represented by the Sunwolves.
The Rebels’ early success will be viewed by Rugby Australia as vindication for its bombshell decision to axe the Force late last year.
True vindication will only be achieved if the Rebels continue on their merry winning way and claim the odd inter-conference scalp to still be in contention at the pointy end of the season.
With four of their next five fixtures at home, there’s every chance Cameron Clyne and his buddies could be breathing easy for a while yet.
Maroon Not Red
Guest
Rebels are a bubble about to burst even if not this weekend against a poor Brumbies team who made the Sunwolves look good. The Rebels only beat a 14 man Queensland team. They won't even make the finals. But Queensland will.
Smiggle Jiggle
Roar Guru
Maybe wait until you see Genia vs Smith, and then you can gauge the quality.
jeznez
Roar Guru
Yeah - didn't really think that was the point to pick on in my comment. Here is a re-write regardless: RA took a pro-team away from the region with the third largest and fastest growing player base in the country. Having most of the best players from the Force move into a single team and seeing that other side perform more strongly isn’t vindication for cutting the side that produced the talent in the first place.
jeznez
Roar Guru
Yeah - I am a big fan of his play. Hopefully he can get his body right and the push on.
Timbo (L)
Roar Guru
I feel bad for Lauwrens. Ruru was his understudy when he got injured. He has recently been named in the Force side which might be a blessing in disguise.
Timbo (L)
Roar Guru
The editors were concerned about legal recourse and declined to publish. My article quoted lines from the hearings and findings and discussed both sides without siding with either. I don't really believe them, I no longer have the perception that this site is independent. To its credit, it does let a lot of "Opinion" through and a lot of unfounded debate go on. I guess there is a tipping point where there is potential liability or revenue loss.
Timbo (L)
Roar Guru
Discussed, Yes! Debated, sure, Well documented, no Way! It took a senate inquiry to dig out the information and this site was reluctant to publish most of the findings. The remainder will stay an ARU Secret with a remote possibility of it seeing daylight when the ASIC investigation concludes.
Timbo (L)
Roar Guru
Are you serious? Auchwitz or Dacau you choose, it is entirely up to you, freewill and all.. I think you are playing with words, and probably yourself if you are going to use a market forces argument. The spirit of what Jeznez says is sound, nitpicking over semantics is a deflection that doesn't change the message.
MitchO
Guest
Some good players there. Hopefully Longbottom is over his injuries and can play a couple more seasons at the top level. Be good if Louwrens and Scoblie can get some proper high level experience. Good that they got Alcock too coz it means Hodgo can have a rest.
Stu B
Guest
Thanks Mat, now I shall read the remainder of your article, Cheers.
Jibba Jabba
Guest
Just sad ...
Train Without A Station
Guest
And the bloke who can barely string a coherent sentence together continues to call anybody who dares disagree with him an apologist because he can’t actuslly address the comments...
Browny
Guest
It's a pretty good place for Ruru to be right now. Gets to be Genia's apprentice and do it all behind a pretty big pack. Will be interesting to watch his development over the next year or two. Similar for Goddard, the u20s HB, although we probably won't see a heap of him come match day for the Rebels.
Matt Porter
Roar Guru
Missed you too uglykiwi. I've been busy making sense of highly complex NRL Tipping comps...
Jibba Jabba
Guest
They censored my last post about the aru which was not excessive by any means so they are obviously very sensitive.. which results in a loss of respect for the site. and an indication of where they think their bread is buttered..
Train Without A Station
Guest
The ARU didn’t ship players anywhere. Those players decided where they would go based on who made them offers.
Matt Porter
Roar Guru
Definition of defunct: 'No longer existing and functioning'. Sorry Stu B, maybe I was a tad heartless, feckless, tactless with the "defunct" call. I appreciate that as an entity, a club, a pathway, a band of rugby playing brothers and their wonderful sea of blue supporters, the Force are anything but spent, kaput, defunct. My post, however, was in the context of Super Rugby 2018. And unfortunately Super Rugby 2018 is no Luke Skywalker. The Force isn't with it. The whys, the where fors and the injustices of why the Force are not there have been well documented, discussed and debated on this site as they have on many other forums. But my post was about a team that's showing some good early form in this year's comp. A team that' happens to be comprised of a clutch of the Force's best players from last year. So relevant in this context. However, the grim reality is, as far as Super Rugby 2018 is concerned, the Force are a defunct entity as in they "no longer exist or function" in that context. I'm truly sorry that's the case, but that's the case. So I am politely declining your offer to withdraw that remark. Thank you.
Timbo (L)
Roar Guru
If you look at some of the footage and advertising appearing in the banner space, and consider the article on the inconvenient truth in the senate findings that I wrote that they refused to publish, It wouldn't surprise me if there is an alliance agreement in there somewhere. Let's hope that the RA don't change the broadcast deal again "Exiting" the Roar from talking about Rugby ;)
Timbo (L)
Roar Guru
Yes, See my earlier rant where I give the Credit to Dave Wessels and Staff.
jeznez
Roar Guru
Agree and although I wish the team every success, I don't read any success that comes their way as vindication for the decision. RA took a pro-team away from the region with the third largest and fastest growing player base in the country. Shipping the best players from the Force into a single team and seeing that other side perform more strongly isn't vindication for cutting the side that produced the talent in the first place.