Scott Higginbotham ready to step up as Melbourne Rebels' full-time captain

FREE of injury and excited over Melbourne's potential, Scott Higginbotham is poised to be installed as Rebels' captain.

FREE of injury and excited over Melbourne's 2014 Super Rugby potential, Scott Higginbotham is poised to be formally installed as Rebels' captain.

The mercurial back-rower covered superbly for former skipper Gareth Delve last season and displayed exceptional leadership qualities.

Acclaimed as Melbourne's player's player - the ultimate sign of peer group respect - Higginbotham's official elevation to captaincy is imminent.

Speaking at training, Higginbotham said he enjoyed the responsibility of guiding the young Melbourne outfit.

"I was absolutely rapt to be given the captaincy, I wasn't expecting it," Higginbotham said.

"It was obviously only my first year at the club but look, I loved it and the game day stuff was the stuff I really enjoyed.

"I suppose bringing some of that leadership into the pre-season is a bit harder and a bit tougher to learn.

"But if I am given the captaincy of the team next year, as the actual captain, not the stand-in captain, it would be great."

Cruelly prevented from taking on the British and Irish Lions because of injury, Higginbotham says the fact there are no Rebels on Australia's European tour is a bonus as Melbourne ploughs through an intense pre-season program.

"We don't have any Wallabies and we train as a whole 30 for the whole of the pre-season so we can hit the ground running into the trials and the new season.," he said.

"My hip came out fine from that surgery, I've barely noticed it since I've got back into training and the shoulder is coming along really well.

"I'd be much further ahead than where I was the first game last year.

"Leading into the first week of training before my first match last season, I'd hardly done any of the plays with the team.

"It's a lot better this year."

Higginbotham expects Melbourne, 12th last season, to significantly improve in 2014.

"I'm not holding us back in any regard," he said.

"I'm thinking, and I hope the rest of the team feels the same way, that we've definitely got a squad to go into every game thinking we can win.

"Last season, we might have been hoping to win and we'd come into games and start to lose and then start actually playing football.

"Whereas this year I think there might be actually a different mindset where we're going into games and getting on to the front foot - and staying on the front foot.

"We're a great outfit and, at the end of the day Super Rugby is tough, and any team can win. You've seen that with the Cheetahs and how they've come up over the last two years."

Higginbotham says the arrival of coach Tony McGahan, prudent recruiting and the improvement of developing players shape as key factors.

"There's a lot of guys from last year who have stepped up," he said.

"Scotty Fuglistaller and Tommy English are great players, they're smart.

"Tommy Kingston seems like a natural professional. He ticks the boxes and does everything really well.

"He's a great finisher. He is a fantastic find for us.

"Colby (Faingaa) has been great. Max Lahiff is keen to make an impact

"We have a lot more depth than last year, coming in with a bit more playing experience."

Higginbotham said the Rebels had responded positively to McGahan's demands for defensive responsibility.

"Attack comes pretty naturally on the back of personal talent of blokes," he said.

"Defence was something that wasn't a high standard of ours last year.

"So we're doing a lot more contact in the pre-season this year, getting the body use to a high volume of physical contact."