Waratahs braced for Rebels ambush

WARATAHS halfback Nick Phipps is expecting an ambush from the Melbourne Rebels after another tough week under the spotlight for the club.

Nick Phipps is wary of the wounded Rebels.

THE re-unification of the Rebels’ powerhouse backrow, a tough week under the Super Rugby spotlight and an in-built “us against them” mentality will make Melbourne an extremely tough opponent on Sunday afternoon, according to NSW halfback Nick Phipps.

Phipps knows the Rebels culture well, having been there when it was built in 2011. He joined the Waratahs in 2014 but is well aware that the Rebels being dragged back into the sights of the ARU for the axe in the last two weeks will only serve to galvanise a team that already views itself as outsiders.

“They’ve had a pretty rough week behind the scenes but without a doubt, when the Force and Kings were on ​the chopping block, they came out with two great wins. I know the group down there and you certainly know it will bring them tighter together,” Phipps said.

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“It’s an us versus them mentality down there and they’ll get really tight.”

If the motivation levels were already high, the Rebels were given another boost this week with Sean McMahon returning to the starting side, along with fellow Wallabies backrower Lopeti Timani. They’ll join Japanese no.8 Amanaki Mafi in an imposing loose trio.

The loss of Sefa Navailu and Tom English in the backline is a blow, however.

The Tahs have no shortage of motivation themselves, however.

A loss to the Rebels at Allianz Stadium would be the fifth straight loss for the Waratahs at home, a milestone that has never occurred before since Super Rugby began in 1996.

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Phipps said the team had not discussed the possibility of a loss, but rather had keenly focused on the fact they only have ... more games at home this year to repay the loyalty of their fans with some top-shelf rugby.

“Beyond the fact we have a record of whatever number of losses over our heads, what sucks more is that we haven’t played well at home, full stop,” Phipps said.

“Sports teams have always traditionally got up at home, to do well for their fans. And that’s something we have spoken about heaps but we just haven’t delivered beyond a few parches.

“That’s the thing we have been speaking about this week. There are so many home games left and we have to trying to play in a way that makes the people proud who are coming along ​to support us, especially all the kids.”

Nick Phipps is wary of the wounded Rebels.

The focus for the Waratahs has been to replace one sports cliche for another. After turning in games of two halves for most of this season - one poor and one excellent - the Waratahs have been concentrating on playing for the full 80 minutes.

​”I think it has been nervousness,” Phipps said of the Waratahs dreadful first-half record.

“The boys want to do so well, they play within themselves at the start of the game. But if we haven’t figured out by now we have to throw the ball around at all costs, as opposed to playing within ourselves, we won’t ever figure it out.

“It is just so evident. Especially against the Blues. Seven penalties first half, one in the second. First half miss 25 tackles, second half barely any. It’s the idea that we have the game in us, but we have been doing a lot of work to try and make sure it comes out from the first minute, not just the 41st minute when we are down by 20.”