Super Rugby: Melbourne Rebels beat ACT Brumbies 33-10

THE Rebelution is real. After being on the brink of extinction in 2017, the Melbourne Rebels are now flying high atop the Super Rugby ladder after hammering the Brumbies.

Rebels star Jack Maddocks is congratulated by teammates after he scored against the Brumbies on Friday night.

THE Rebelution is real.

After being on the brink of extinction in 2017, the Melbourne Rebels are now flying high atop the Super Rugby ladder.

And while the year is still young, Friday night’s tenacious 33-10 win over the ACT Brumbies proves the Rebels are ready to play finals for the first time.

First-up wins over Queensland and the Sunwolves were eye-catching for their ease, but this will sound the biggest warning to the Rebels’ rivals.

The Rebels are flying high.

If games one and two were cakewalks, this was a brutal slugfest for 65 minutes against a team many were tipping in pre-season to be Australia’s best.

The Rebels had to combat a Brumbies side that refused to let their AAMI Park hosts have it all their own way.

But after being shut out of the contest for the first 10 minutes, the Rebels found a way - and then ran away with three tries in the last 15 minutes to score another bonus point win.

Scrumhalf Will Genia kept his side moving forward in a game that was bereft of any real momentum until late, while Reece Hodge scored 18 points.

But for much of the contest this was about two ferocious forward packs - and the Rebels, despite missing captain Adam Coleman, dished out plenty.

No.8 Amanaki Mafi was a bull, with 17 carries and 91 metres gained.

The Rebels’ defence was suffocating.

Flanker Lopeti Timani hit up all night while prop Tetera Faulkner was also impressive.

This new-look Rebels side has only played five games together.

In their first trial the Brumbies pulverised them 50-19.

The gains made in barely a month since are clear - and there is plenty of improvement left as the side continues to jell.

Hodge (two), Mafi, Jack Maddocks and Michael Ruru scored the tries.

It was all ACT in the opening stages, with a try to Chance Peni coming on the back of nine minutes of sustained pressure where 94 per cent of the game was spent in the Rebels half in a period when the hosts conceded five penalties and lost Jordan Uelese to the sin bin.

Dane Haylett-Petty and Christian Lealiifano compete for the high ball.

But then the game turned.

The Rebels put the Brumbies under the same heat that was earlier applied the other way before Mafi scored in the 29th minute, a try that was quickly followed by Hodge’s first.

The stop-start affair gave no quarters until Henry Speight scored in the 55th minute, but Hodge answered back in the 65th while Leslie Leulua’iali’I Makin was in the sin bin.

And then again the Rebels followed up with another quickly through Maddocks before Ruru sealed the bonus point.

REBELS 33 (Reece Hodge 2, Jack Maddocks, Amanaki Mafi, Michael Ruru tries Hodge 4 cons) BRUMBIES 10 (Chance Peni, Henry Speight tries) at AAMI Park. Referee: Will Houston. Crowd: 10,061.

Originally published as Super Rugby: Melbourne Rebels beat ACT Brumbies 33-10