Melbourne Rebels stand-in skipper Tom English admits his team is being driven by the desire to prove a point to those who wanted them cut from the Super Rugby competition.
The Rebels have maintained their position on top of the Australian Super Rugby conference with their third successive win – an impressive 33-10 bonus-point victory over the Brumbies at AAMI Park.
With a dozen Western Force players, as well as their coach Dave Wessels, joining Melbourne this season after their team was axed from the downsized competition the players have a shared bond after the uncertainty of last year when both teams were in the firing line.
“One of the teams, the Rebels or Perth were going to get the chop so we both experienced a bit of the uncertainty there,” English said.
“It serves as motivation as we were the outcasts of Super Rugby – everyone was willing to let one of us go and the fact that we’ve all come together and are putting together some solid performances is just showing everyone we’re here to perform and we’re here to win.”
The big centre said he wasn’t surprised the players had been able to gel so quickly to become one of the competition pace-setters.
“It’s was always going to be a challenge to bring us all together but the hard work you do in the pre-season builds as good a bond as you’re going to get.
“You get to see each other bleed and sweat and you grow as a team together through that.”
English, who has been with Melbourne since 2013, and experienced them winning one game in the 2017 season, said it was too early to think about playing the finals.
“Three in a row is a starting point,” he said.
“It’s giving us confidence and rewarding us for all the hard work we did over the pre-season.”
The Rebels next face the Waratahs in Sydney next Sunday when regular skipper Adam Coleman will return from a sternum injury.
Woodsie
Guest
Me three. He’ll make a great flyhalf. He has the ability to light the nitro with ball in hand like Barrett or McKenzie but with size, speed and solid defence.
PeterK
Roar Guru
Jagueres having lost their first 3 games smashed the tahs due to bigger stronger forwards dominating physically and backs playing collectively. Gibson is a poor coach, the teams weaknesses and pattern are easily exploited. Of course it is not a sure thing but Rebels deserve to be heavy favourites.
Fionn
Guest
Congrats on the win, Pirates. Good to see an Aussie team playing well, even if it isn't the Brumbies! Rebels seem to have a nucleus to build around... but why oh why can't Mafi be an Aussie?! That man is a beast.
ozinsa
Guest
I so want to see Maddocks at 10
Cynical Play
Guest
Your surety is arrogant. Wait and see. Kepu is starting. Simmons is starting. Mugs? Holloway and Hooper, Wells. This team can manage physicality. Mafi is a maniac and Timani seems to feed of that, sure, but the Tahs backline is the best the young Rebels would have faced. So back off with your foregone conclusions PK as they show you up as an wisher rather than a true analyst.
Fionn
Guest
Really impressed by the Rebels and fully intend on getting behind them. They're the only team that looks like they can possibly compete with a few of the Kiwis, however h likely it may be. Maddocks must surely be the favourite for the Wallabies' 14 jersey, and Hodge looks like he could be our man at 12. Really excited to see Maddocks at 10 though.
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Guest
Yes Gepetto, there's a bloke running around in Brisbane club rugby itching to prove that he can unlock a defence like few in the world can.... oh wait he already has? Nevermind Bernard is fit (so far), and Maddocks looks promising (though yet to wear a 10 shirt at this level). RA give yourselves an uppercut. BBBT got a win last weekend by coaching hos team to tackle and kick penalties. woop de doo ? Happy to be proven wrong but this looks like a rudderless ship to me. Why oh why do RA not assert more direction in selection of individuals in a kinda 'key position'?
Gepetto
Guest
The Rebels have the best on-field leader in the country - Sanchez Genia. People who say we don't need Quade because we have CL are clearly delusional. CL has lost even the ability to kick goals. Bryce Hegarty should replace Foley at #10 so the Tahs can try playing with a faster man with a superior passing game and better vision.
PiratesRugby
Guest
Whilst my antipathy to the Tahs is pretty well established, I am not going to say they are easy beats. They have proven to be difficult opponents for the two South African teams they played. They were inferior to the Stormers and still managed to get a win. They also managed to come away from the Republic with points. The Rebels' opponents so far this season have been pretty poor. That wasn't the best team the Brumbies ever put into a field. But the Rebels are building confidence and their combinations are starting to click. If we can beat the Tahs, that would be great and I don't take this game for granted. But if we can win and keep winning, I'm betting Cheika won't even notice.
Dean
Roar Rookie
Pirates Rugby - comment of the season! Bravo mate, bravo!! I’m looking forward to Rebels v Tards next week.
PeterK
Roar Guru
tahs have little chance against the rebels. The rebels backs are a match at least for the tahs backs and the forwards significantly better. The tahs won't be able to handle the physicality of the rebels and the tahs backs will be forced into many handling errors by the very good rush defence. The tahs will try to continue to offload and play at pace but be smashed off the ball and pushed backwards. They lack the kicking game to turn the rebels around. Lastly they will have travel fatigue in a major way. They went to South Africa then Argentina and now back to Australia. Last 20 mins they will be over run.
PiratesRugby
Guest
Please smash the Waratahs. Twice.