Super Rugby: Rebels face daunting task in Wellington even with Marika Koroibete among reinforcements

MARIKA Koroibete will make his eagerly anticipated Super Rugby debut in Wellington on Saturday as the Rebels prepare for another early test of their mettle.

Marika Koroibete is primed for his first taste of Super Rugby.

MARIKA Koroibete will make his eagerly anticipated Super Rugby debut in Wellington on Saturday as the Melbourne Rebels prepare for another early-season test of their mettle.

Mercifully, after last week’s horror 56-18 season opening loss to the Auckland Blues at AAMI Park, the Rebels will also regain the experience of Wallabies hooker James Hanson and gun centre Mitch Inman.

Captain Nic Stirzaker has also been cleared to play despite going off with concussion last week.

But it makes the clash with the Hurricanes at Westpac Stadium no less daunting, especially given the defending champion started their campaign with a 83-17 slaughtering of the Sunwolves in Tokyo last week.

Marika Koroibete is primed for his first taste of Super Rugby.

Code-hopper Koroibete was Melbourne’s big off-season recruit after he made the decision to switch from NRL giant Melbourne Storm.

Much of the Rebels pre-season plans were based around his explosive potential and also that of fellow Fijian-born winger Sefa Naivalu - who remains sidelined by illness - with coach Tony McGahan promising to play a more expansive game in 2017.

Those plans came a cropper last week, with the Blues pouncing on any mistake made by the young Rebels side.

But McGahan said the team had “learnt some good lessons” against Auckland, vowing to fix up some key areas needing attention.

McGahan told News Corp Australia at the Super Rugby season launch in Brisbane last month that Koroibete’s recruitment had everyone at the Rebels excited.

“Everyone is genuinely excited for him,” McGahan said.

“And the things that he was really good at for the Melbourne Storm he’ll still be really good at in rugby.

“People have got expectations and expect him to do well, but I’m sure he does too.”

The Hurricanes put 80 points on the Sunwolves last weekend.

Koroibete, 24, hurt his knee in pre-season training and missed both trial games as a result.

Hanson hurt his hip and leg in the final trial of the summer, which kept him out of the Blues loss, while Inman was a late withdrawal with a hamstring complaint.

Still missing aside from Naivalu are locks Sean McMahon (ankle), Sam Jeffries (ankle) and Dom Day (shoulder), while prop Toby Smith (hamstring) is a long-term proposition.

Saturday’s game is only the third time the Rebels have played in Wellington, with the Hurricanes winning convincingly in both previous encounters.

Originally published as Super Rugby: Rebels face daunting task in Wellington even with Marika Koroibete among reinforcements