Super Rugby AU: Rebels coach Dave Wessels swats away talk of an asterisk over any 2020 success in compromised season

A first ever finals campaign, or a title, would be an achievement to rival in any Super Rugby for the Melbourne Rebels according to coach Dave Wessels who scoffed at talk of an asterisk

A full season on the road, living in interstate hubs away from family and introducing a host of new players would make any Super Rugby success in 2020 a triumph for the ages according to Melbourne Rebels coach Dave Wessels.

The Super Rugby competition has continued without any New Zealand and South African teams since the COVID-19 shutdown, but there have been a myriad of other challenges thrown at the Australian teams.

A win over the Queensland Reds on Saturday, in Brisbane, would propel the Rebels to the top of the competition with just three rounds before finals, and put Melbourne on track for a maiden finals berth.

The Rebels have had to play every game this season on the road, including an opening win in New Zealand before the break, and been stuck in a quarantine bubble away from families in isolation in Melbourne since June.

Only the all-conquering Crusaders have endured a similar season, getting all the way to the final in 2011 after every match on the road following the devastating Christchurch earthquakes which destroyed their home ground.

“Our goal is to win this comp. People thought that was funny when I said that after round one, when we were prevented form training and having to move around. We were serious about it then and we‘re serious about it now,” Wessels said on Thursday.

“If we are able to do that, very few teams in super rugby have been able to overcome the challenges we have had to be successful.

“Comparing past years, that’s doesn’t really make sense, and sometimes people criticise us and the gap between the Kiwi teams. Well we played one Kiwi team away this year and we beat them.”

“People can make those comparisons but it’s not really valid.”

Spirits in the team have lifted again after the latest batch of Rebel Grams were platered on the wall of the team room.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to message our boys ❤️💙 pic.twitter.com/faYn6Q1Q8a

— Melbourne Rebels (@MelbourneRebels) August 12, 2020

Wessels said the challenges were driving the Rebels this year.

A care package sent from his wife and three kids this week, who he hasn’t seen for two months, only reinforced how massive an achievement winning the title would be this year.

“That’s what’s driving us. We got a nice care package from my family today with a bun hc of pictures of the kids, which was really cool, and I know that there are people doing it genuinely tough and that has become a real motivating factor for the team,” he said.

“If we get the win then we’ll be top of the comp, but I have been really proud of the guys under difficult circumstances, we’ve played every game away which no other team aside from the Western Force have had to do.

“We’re missing a lot of established players that have been part of our group for along time. It’s something to be really proud of.”

Originally published as Super Rugby AU: Rebels coach Dave Wessels swats away talk of an asterisk over any 2020 success in compromised season