Amongst all the despair, the Wallabies beat Ireland this year and the All Blacks last year. We can do it again.
With some shrewd signings in the off-season, the Rebels game plan and style will be key to both their own Super Rugby success and Wallabies World Cup hopes in 2019.
And taking a look at the Rebels playing roster, with talent to burn, they have not mucked around when it comes to the backline.
Quade Cooper rejoins fellow Queensland Reds 2011 Super Rugby champion and fellow Wallabies legend Will Genia. Former Wallabies and Brumbies star Matt Toomua becomes available after his contract finishes with Leicester Tigers.
With these additions the Rebels boast a backline full of current and former Wallabies. Here is a review of a possible full-strength line-up.
Half-back: Will Genia – 100 Wallabies caps
Real deal. World Cup finalist. Reds Super Rugby champion. And 100 tests is a lot of games. He needs to be properly rested and have his fatigue managed this season. In tandem with Rebels Kiwi Michael Ruru, Melbourne are one of the more mature outfits when it comes to player management.
Fly half: Quade Cooper – 70 Wallabies caps
World Cup 2011 semi-finalist. Reds Super Rugby champion. Freakish X factor talent. Can burn opposition in a second. His 2018 season was probably a blessing in disguise. While Bernard Foley was mercilessly played game after game by New South Wales and the Wallabies, Thorn protected Quade Cooper, who is coming into 2019 the freshest he has been in a long time. Out of the bubble of Queensland, Quade can rub shoulders with the likes of Cameron Smith, another Queensland legend playing in Melbourne.
For the Wallabies, Quade’s focus is on his kicking game and emulating Johnny Wilkinson’s work effort. As a fellow Roarer commented, Johnny Wilkinson was always last to leave at training. For Quade it’s about striving for personal bests in goal-kicking percentage and linking up with Cameron Smith, who is an 82.4 per cent goal kicker and one sharp cookie. Master the pinpoint accurate, long-range torpedo kick. With tall outside backs, look for cross-field bombs. Chips over the back to turn around defences who like to rush in on our backs. And of course the drop goal.
Inside centre: Matt Toomua – 40 Wallabies caps
A World Cup finalist and a Super Rugby finalist with the Brumbies. After Toomua left Brumbies, their number of wins dropped from ten or nine per season to six. Again, he’s the real deal. He’s a gun fly half who will no doubt readily interchange positions with Cooper in 2019. This is important as both players will need to be rested during a World Cup year. It also keeps them sharp in both positions. Like Quade, Toomua should unleash on the kicking front.
(Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
Outside centre: Marika Koroibete – 18 Wallabies caps
He’s a dual international and 2016 NRL grand finalist. Though he’s normally a winger, he could become a deadly centre. His fend has shades of Steve Renouf, who incidentally, at 1.8 metres tall, is the same height.
Using tall wingers and fullbacks gives the Rebels an aerial advantage close to the line and when defending. Taller players with proper technique can also have latent monster boot abilities, which brings us to wings and fullback.
Wing: Reece Hodge (the Monster Boot himself) – 33 Wallabies caps
He’s 1.91 metres tall and historically a utility player who can play all backline positions. This offers the ability to fill in for players when they are being managed for fatigue in 2019. Hodge’s fatigue needs to be managed also.
He kicked the winning goal against the All Blacks in 2017. Arguably the most underused weapon in the Rebels and Wallabies arsenal, the last time we rolled the All Blacks was off the back of a Reece Hodge monster goal. Here’s a little trip from memory lane at the three-minute mark, and the following is him on debut against the All Blacks.
When you have a weapon like Hodge, the opposition think twice about infringing. It’s risk vs reward and percentage plays. If they muck up, they can get hurt from a long way out. The more long-range kicks Hodge make, the bigger the threat he becomes in international rugby.
For both the Rebels and the Wallabies, Hodge should be used as fly half for farside touchline clearance kicks when inside our 22. Likewise, when in the 35-metre to 60-metre zone on our lineout throws, Hodge again would act as a fly half to penetrate the ball deep into opposition 22. Again, farside of field torps. This then links in with a strong lineout focus. The Rebels and Wallabies need lineouts to be a standout strength.
For all other scenarios, revert back to Cooper or Toomua at fly half.
Hodge’s focus for 2019 ought to be long-range penalty and field goals and monster cross-field torpedo kicks. You are probably starting to see a common theme here. AFL-style drop punts aiming for near the touchline have a place in the game, but for territorial advantage nothing beats a monster cross-field torpedo aiming for the farside touchline.
Territorial advantage was a tactic employed in the 2003 World Cup by England and is a major weapon the Wallabies could have at their disposal.
South Africa and teams from Europe are torpedo masters, so the Wallabies should contract a gun South African or European kicking coach. Backs should be launching missiles again each other in a game of ‘force-em backs’ at the start of training under the tutelage of an eagle-eyed torpedo master.
Wing: Dane Haylett-Petty – 29 Wallabies caps; fullback: Jack Maddocks – 6 Wallabies caps
At 1.90 metres and 1.94 metres respectively, these two are great talents. In opposition 22 the odd cross-field kick from Quade or Toomua to these tall men becomes another threat. Wings and fullbacks need to focus on basics of speed, kicking, chasing Ben Tune-style, catching cross-field bombs and positional play. Again, as part of the back three, they need missile torps to play the game in opposition territory. With practice comes precision.
Australia need a lot things to win the World Cup: player depth, player combinations, multiple players with pinpoint-accurate torpedo kicks matched by an equally dominant lineout and a host of other factors.
But above all we need multiple Super Rugby teams performing well and mastering new weapons. The Rebels world-class backline has what it takes to match it with the best. The question then becomes: Will they get the platform they need from their forward pack? And what does the most dangerous full-strength Rebels forward pack look like?
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
Prejudice needs no evidence, TWAS. Oh well.....
Jock the sock
Guest
Yeah QC will save us again. It’s all about q.c you don’t need a forward pack.
Terry Tavita
Roar Pro
genia, hodge, koroibete, maddocks, haylett petty are all average players..don't see any real potential there..
Fox
Roar Guru
Totally illogical dribble Feff - so now you turn sa typo into some weapon for your argument - I erely rebutted your gleeful claim - fke new that Cooper COMPETELY outplayed Carter in the 2011 final - whgich is most definitely fake news - go back and watch the game - Genias try from the ruck was the difference in the end not Cooper being better than Carter - I don't care what game was played or where - Cooper is not a patch on Carter as a 10 - Period!!!
Bobby
Guest
So who is your pick for a straight running attacking speedy 12, Toomua. Is he the answer. Way took conservative for me.
Zado
Guest
This is why we lose consistentlt. The bumbling sideways crabbing butter fingered Beale at 12..Pffffffffffft
Feff
Guest
Oh you forgot ? Really ? You completely and conveniently forgot . ? You are backtracking now Fox Noise as you got found out with the Carter fake news? Carter wasn`t playing you said ? I thought you said he didn`t play, now you are going into an analysis of his game on the night.That is hilarious. Stop now you are embarrassing yourself . And we are talking about 2011 Super Final,not a Lions tour that has nothing to do with that Super Rugby Final or Quade or the Reds. No amount of waffle will make your massive gaff disappear on the roar. But but but Carter didn't win the Crusaders the game. How come ? .Not good enough i reckon. Crater is very apt, as it puts a big hole in your fake narrative.
Bobby
Guest
I think the 12 and 13 will end up being Beale and Tavita. Samu has terrible ball security and skills but does have ability to get over ad line. Beatle generally is unpredictable in attack. He just needs to enjoy his rugby and play what's in front of him
Russ
Guest
We all knew that as a fact that's why i said put a red line through anything you say about Quade, as you have a one track mind Tailorman. And here you are popping up your little noggin up as i expected. Speaking of...Thorn will go first then Cheika.
Fox
Roar Guru
whoops Carter not Crater
Fox
Roar Guru
Yeah Cooper's a better 10 the Carter no question !!!!!!!!!!!!!! There is daylight between them quite frankly in tactical and goal kicking, defense, organisation, reading the game in defense and attack and consistency - and in attack as well just watch Crater's performance in the Lions series where it is widely considered even in the UK the best performance by a 10 of all time. Cooper wouldn't even be most peoples best international 10's of all time . Yes Carter did play that game I forgot he came back from injury before that game and I just watched the game again and what is fascinating to watch is how cool and calm, Carter is around the park in comparison - Cooper most certainly did not completely outplay him - that is rubbish - they both had some good moments . It was Genia's try that won the game for the Reds and he had a bigger influence on the game than Cooper or Carter that day - especially in the second half. And the QLD pack was the best QLD pack there has been for awhile as well and they didn't outplay the Crusaders pack but they matched them for most of the game.
Jim
Guest
The only way those players Kerevi, Kuridrani, Toomua, Hodge, Petaia. etc etc will get a fair crack is if Cheika is sacked xmas eve. Every team he has rolled out over the years has always had more dud Waratahs in the team than anyone else. He wonders why he keeps losing ?
Feff
Guest
Sorry to burst your fake news bubble, but Carter was playing and was totally outplayed by QC. Better brush up your facts instead of watching too much Fox News .
riddler
Roar Rookie
very happy for qld to win he trophy but any rugby fan will know that the odds all season were against the saders and yet they did so very well, with no complaints nor excuses from them. as always complete respect to richie et al from me.
riddler
Roar Rookie
feff. that is pathetic.
Fox
Roar Guru
With an earthquake torn homeland in Christchurch - no home ground - travelling to get to every game one way or another - travelling back from SA and yet they still made the final. Carter didn't play in that game.
Fox
Roar Guru
It' is not hate - that is ridiculous thing to say - It is our observations of him over the years and he deserves most of the criticisms that come his way whether you like it or not - though I do not agree with Kirky and TWAS underneath is right - Cooper was very good at Super level in 2011 operating with Genia when both were in top form and at international level he had his moments, not the least of which was an outstanding game against Wales at Millennium Stadium - easily his best performance at test level - but his weaknesses were exposed at the higher level no question and especially by the AB's who virtually had it over him psychologically in many tests and it was visible for anyone with half a rugby brain to see it. No one hates Cooper that I am aware off - we just don't rate him at test level because he is badly error prone - last time I checked that wasn't a crime - he often makes poor decisions under pressure - runs side on too often - his defense can be very poor at times - but sure in space with dangerous players around him or near the line he can be very dangerous because he has the skills to hurt defenses but too much of the rest of his game is not at test level standard - his errors too often too costly - and he is without doubt an inconsistent performer at 10. But he will do some very good things at the Rebels throughout the season in attack but I think we will see all his errors under pressure there as well. Time will tell who is right I guess.
cinque
Roar Rookie
I note the Herald reckons Hunt could be set to join the Tahs. Whether that is good for the Tahs or not, it might be good for the Wallabies. We are starting to see players settle into correct positions. These heretofore invisible men could be useful. Uelese, Kuridrani, Naisarani, Cooper, Hunt. Whether they all turn out to be useful or not, we know where these guys will play. If they click, others could be freed, such as Pocock to 6, Beale to 11, 15, 23 or 25. Hunt could give Gibson a reason to try - say - Beale at 15, Folau at 14. We might even see every Super player in the "right" position for State and country. Note I am not saying that Hunt will play 12 for the Wallabies, just that seeing him at 12 for the Tahs would help solve the Wallaby turnstile and the Grey-shuffle. 12 & 13 could come from Kerevi, Kuridrani, Toomua, Hodge, Petaia. I'd like to see that!
Bobby
Guest
One thing I am sure about when teams play the Rebels - all teams but particularly Australian and NZ teams. Quade will be heavily targeted and put under immense pressure. The result of that will be dropped ball, hail Mary passes and a deficient defence if he is on the line Sure he will make some mecurial high light reel play but overall I think 2019, in all fairness will be a tough year for QC
Kiwi
Guest
Stewart and Paia’aua are not test quality.