Hopefully Jake White’s advice to Dave Wessels this week included running plenty of Melbourne traffic at Jack Debreczeni.
White called his fellow South African following the Rebels’ humiliation at the hands of the Crusaders in Christchurch last Saturday, when the defending champions hammered the visitors 66-0.
Sharp and astute, White coached the Springboks to World Cup glory in 2007 and had success more recently at the Brumbies.
He was keen to relay his thoughts on how the Rebels can limp into the Super Rugby finals with victory over the Chiefs in Melbourne tonight in the final round of the regular season.
It would take a massive turnaround for the Rebels to qualify for their first Super Rugby finals given their poor form while the Chiefs, whose season was just about a write-off as early as the end of April, can also sneak into the playoffs with a win thanks to a late surge.
If White was offering tips on which Chiefs players to target defensively, then there’s a good chance that Debreczeni was high on the list.
Have the Rebels made their journey to the finals too hard? (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
Debreczeni will start at five-eighth for the Chiefs in somewhat of a homecoming at AAMI Park tonight given he played at the Rebels for the last five seasons.
In fact, after a short stint in Japan in 2017-18, Debreczeni returned to the Rebels for the start of last season, just as Wessels took over as head coach in Melbourne.
So White probably didn’t need to tell Wessels that Debreczeni’s main deficiency is he’s not the most rugged defender.
He’s a very skilful ball-player, boasts a huge boot, is a solid goal-kicker and is pretty quick for a big No.10. But if you’re looking to bend the defensive line, then Debreczeni is a decent target.
Debreczeni will often line up in defence next to halfback Brad Weber, who is jockey-sized but brave. Like Debreczeni, he will make tackles, but he’s rarely going to stop ball-carriers dead in their tracks.
So a smart ploy would be to send lots of ball-runners towards Debreczeni and Weber. Who is best suited for the job? Isi Naisarani and Marika Koroibete.
They are the two that can get the Rebels on the front foot and then Will Genia and Quade Cooper can look to open up the gaps when the Chiefs are back-pedalling.
Koroibete’s aggressive charges have been a highlight for the Rebels over the past month. He’s a fearless ball-runner who when he gets his legs pumping is damn hard to stop.
He loves the collisions too, so Wessels should be looking to use Koroibete running off Cooper, especially from quick lineout ball.
Naisarani, from No.8, can also get the Rebels over the advantage line if he can isolate Debreczeni and Weber.
He has proven to be a tough one to take down and fights for every metre in attack.
Chiefs flanker Sam Cane will be ready to protect his halves, and it’s hardly a surprise that the All Blacks forward’s return from a neck injury has coincided with the Chiefs putting together some crucial wins. But the speed of Naisarani means that Cane might find it tough to always help Weber out, particularly around the scrum base.
The return of Brodie Retallick from a wrist injury also means that the Chiefs will have another classy forward eager to put their hand up for work if the Rebels attempt to target Debreczeni and Weber in phase play.
The Waikato-based side are ranked joint-fourth for points scored this season, but they’ve also conceded the second-most points in the competition.
Alex Nankivell is another Chiefs player that the Rebels might look to pinpoint for special attention. He will line up at inside centre and while he’s a talented midfielder, the 22-year-old is relatively inexperienced in Super Rugby.
On top of Wessels and White trying to break down the Chiefs, it will be a good test for Rebels attack coach Shaun Berne. He’s a chance of being named as the Wallabies attack coach in place of Stephen Larkham, but after he had the Rebels backline firing early in the season, they’ve been ordinary in recent times when they’ve had a number of chances to lock in a finals spot.
Melbourne Rebels head coach Dave Wessels. (Photo by Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images)
After being thrashed by the Crusaders, it will be intriguing to see how the Rebels respond. Resting Genia and starting Cooper on the bench last round, Wessels was always targeting the Chiefs match to turn it on.
Second-rower Adam Coleman, who has a shoulder injury, won’t be on board while winger Jack Maddocks has been rested due to a calf strain.
Maddocks was caught out a number of times in defence against the Crusaders, as was fullback Dane Haylett-Petty. Reece Hodge will replace Maddocks on the wing while Tom English will partner Billy Meakes in the centres.
The Rebels’ result should be regarded as a crucial one for Australian rugby too. In 2015, when the Waratahs and Brumbies were knocked out in the semi-finals, the Wallabies won the abbreviated Rugby Championship and went on to make the World Cup final. Not since then has two Australian sides qualified for the Super Rugby playoffs.
If the Rebels lose, a solid chunk of Wallabies in the Melbourne squad won’t play a top-level match in over a month.
Add the Wallabies squad members from the Waratahs and Reds to that group and it will likely mean a slow start to their five-Test World Cup build-up.
Over the past three years when only one Australian team has made the Super Rugby finals, the All Blacks have flogged the Wallabies in each of the first three Bledisloe Tests.
“We were pretty embarrassed about our performance last week,” Wessels said during the week.
“It’s showtime now for us.”
Phantom
Roar Rookie
Great prediction that turned out to be
Timbo (L)
Roar Guru
I will answer my own question, Apparently yes. Both the Chiefs and the landers have made it! Wit 5 draws between them, i recon they have earned it with "least losses"
concerned supporter
Roar Rookie
Rabbitz, Still talking about it??? Read Fridays Australian, in particular, the comments section. You probably prefer D. Haylett- Petty, the worlds slowest full back.
Waxhead
Roar Rookie
@Will Now after the result of another Rebels thrashing I’d like to highlight the case of Debrecenzi. After 4 yrs with virtually no improvement at the Rebels Debrecenzi moved to the Chiefs this year with his rugby career in malaise. At the Chiefs he was 3rd pick flyhalf after the McKenzie brothers. He finally got his chance last night and promptly played the best game I’ve ever seen from him. Even his defence was decent. The dramatic improvement in his game after just 3/4 season at the Chiefs tells us everything we need to know about the difference in rugby culture and coaching between NZ and Australia. The same thing has happened to every Aussie player who has spent a season or 2 playing in NZ. Everything NZ does in rugby is superior to Australia. Structures, culture, coaching, team work, strategies, game plans, skills, technique, speed, intelligence etc etc. Australians need to ditch their arrogant superiority complex and start being humble learners of everything NZ does ????
Rabbitz
Roar Guru
Really? Are we still talking about this? In all honesty, who cares? An over-inflated ego with a God complex - He knew what the outcome would be but did it anyway, now he wants to bankrupt the game.
Waxhead
Roar Rookie
@ken No actually cos Rebels play in the weakest conference. If they were in the NZ conference they'd be in last position imo
Kashmir Pete
Roar Guru
Will Great article - many thanks. Cheers KP
Bobby
Roar Rookie
Conciliation is a different beast to Mediation. Normally a QC or often, a retired Judge hears the matter. This will be interesting!
Bobby
Roar Rookie
Will, you focus on Debs defensive issues. I think Cooper is in the same boat. Expect the Chiefs forwards to be aiming for Quade
freddieeffer
Roar Rookie
True Don and Ken, but unlike the Brumbies who were terrible at the start, they've built considerably throughout the season, and are peaking at the right time. The Rebels started pretty good before the wheels progressively fell off in the back half of the season. I think it could be sensibly argued right now that the Rebels are not ready to take their place as semi-finalists. The second and most important point for me is that position 8 gets you an appointment with the Crusaders next week, and I don't think another masterclass from them in a semi-finals context is a good thing right now after a 66 point flogging last week. For mine, I'd like the Rebels to prove through consistent and solid performances throughout the season that they are ready to take on semi-finals footie. No matter how or when the numbers were accrued ; that time is not the 2019 season, despite the Rebels green shoots earlier on this year. Plus I think the Chiefs will give them a modest touch up anyway.
Puff
Guest
The Melbourne franchisers and club supporters were appreciative of Wessels appointment but as his second season starts to vacillate. With very little new creative attack or defensive structure in place, uncertainty regarding his abilities may become problematic. The Rebels have a very strong and knowledgeable player register although many have plagued. Genia and Cooper no-longer excite, with many of the other more established players displaying very little inventiveness. Toomua last week was a good example. We struggle to find inspirational players when required, Coleman was never that person. So the question needs to be asked, have we already played our best rugby this season. As I believe the Chiefs best is yet to come?
Timbo (L)
Roar Guru
Glad you mentioned Sam Cane protecting the halves. He isn't my preferred AB #7, I like Ardie Todd and Taufua but I respect his talents in close, skills needed in the grind of an international. If you target Jack Deb and Webber and Cane is there, there is a genuine chance that you will get your stuff nicked. Isi isn't the best at maintaining possession and I have seen him held up more than once, Retallick will see to that. Jack may not be the best tackler in the world, but from what I have seen he is pretty good at protecting a ruck, another opportunity for a turnover. I think the Rebs should focus on what they are good at, not trying to leverage a perceived problem with the opposition. I would rather see them commit forwards to the breakdown for a few phases, earning the right to punch Billy through the line, handing off to English & co to finish the job. or, if the Chiefs block that channel, there will be room out wide for Quade to pass or kick to. It will be all academic if they can't hold back the Chiefs attacking game. My heart is with the Rebs, but if I had to put money on it, the Chiefs by 14, a bonus point win. Mathematically, can the kiwis still get 4 teams into the finals?
Don
Roar Rookie
Exactly! Their early season form put them in this position. A win in March is worth the same points as a win in June.
Jacko
Guest
Ben I was thinking the same thing while reading the article. I would much rather have Webber and Debeczine than Genia and Cooper and I think the writer underestimates Nankervill big time. mind you I think ALB will drop in to 12 like he did against the Saders and Nankervill out to 13. Wessels is proving he is out of his depth at SR level and maybe the Rebels should just get White if White is the one doing all the advising......Not that the advising is working great so far...Tbh for a team that had everything going their way at the start of the season they have been a major letdown. At what point does the Wessels love start to fade? But he is such a lovely man!!!!!!
concerned supporter
Roar Rookie
Off Topic, but ultra important for Rugby in Australia, ''Israel Folau and Rugby Australia have been ordered by the Fair Work Commission to sit down face to face, in a last-ditch bid to solve their stoush over his $5 million contract. Rugby union’s governing body cancelled the Wallabies star’s contract over online comments he made warning gay people that “hell awaits” them. Fair Work Commission vice-president Adam Hatcher yesterday ruled the case be set down for conciliation on June 28 in Sydney. The parties will now have to come together to resolve the matter or it will proceed to a hearing.''
Will Knight
Expert
Yep fair enough. The Rebels defence has been woeful. And defence - maybe more so at this stage of the season - is what sets up wins. Concede 30 points tonight and the Rebels probably fall short. I was just trying to point out a strategy to get those four or five tries that they will likely need to get the chocolates.
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
W’head, “Rebels don’t deserve a place in the final series.” If you earn more points you deserve a place. That’s how it works. Your points regarding the Rebels defence are valid.
Waxhead
Roar Rookie
@Will Imo win/lose or draw tonight Rebels don't deserve a place in the final series. You concentrate of the Rebels attack - why? Their biggest problem for the past 2 seasons has been their defence. Wessels has had 2 seasons now to fix the Rebels defence but it shows no signs of improvement. They were flogged 66-0 last week by a team Chiefs beat the week previous. This week Rebels have Coleman and Maddocks out and Chiefs have the worlds best player and their captain back. Chiefs by at least 20 points imo :)
Ben
Guest
You could write this exact same article and replace Debra with Cooper, Webber with Genia and Naisarani with Sowakula. Dont know if youve ssen the pace and tough running Sowakula brings. A lot of experts say he outplayed Kieran Read in that game. You are definitely underestimating Nankervill. Another who has an ability to split the defensive line. If you reckon the Rebs will be sending a lot of traffic down that 1st 5, halfback channel, then that channel both ways is gonna be crowded.