Melbourne Rebels reveal their driving motivation ahead 2018 Super Rugby season
IN 2017, it was pretty much the Melbourne Rebels and Western Force against the rest. And with the Perth club gone, it’s now up to the Victorians to take on the establishment.
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DAVE Wessels says there are many parallels between the Melbourne Rebels and the rebel miners of the Eureka Stockade.
“In order to really know where we’re going we have to know where we’ve come from,” the new Rebels coach said.
“A lot of the guys didn’t realise we got our name from the Eureka Stockade, the rebels. The five stars in our badge are actually the five stars of the Eureka flag.
“That story has some really nice parallels for us. It’s about a group of cobbled together people rising against the establishment. That’s a powerful analogy.”
That was a message Wessels drove home to his players on a pre-season camp in, of all places, Ballarat, where the gold miners rebellion took place in 1854.
Just as the miners revolted against colonial authorities, Rebels club captain Tom English said the Rebels of 2018 also have a uniting cause.
Last year the Australian Rugby Union led a crusade to oust either the Rebels or the Western Force.
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The general feeling from the northern states was they didn’t care which club was killed off, so long as one was in order to make the four remaining Super Rugby sides stronger in the face of New Zealand domination.
The Force was lost, and 12 of its players have found their way to Melbourne. But English insists it has not taken long for this cobbled together group to meld together.
“We spoke about us all being offcuts and the ARU not wanting us,” English said.
“We were both on the chopping block and that was our motivation to really come together and show the other franchises that we’re here to play and here to win. That’s definitely a driving force.
“The key to finding success in large groups of people is finding a common purpose and for us that common purpose has been us against the ARU and the other Super Rugby clubs.
“I was at that meeting when they were voting to keep or exclude a club from the competition in 2018 and not everyone was on the same page.
“So knowing that and understanding that the Force and Rebels were of the same point of view, it’s really comforting to see us both on the same side of the field together.”
New Rebels on-field captain Adam Coleman said that common cause made it easier for the two playing groups to unite.
“Everyone’s got their motivations, but I feel that’s definitely a big one that’s driving us,” Coleman said.
“I feel it was very easy for us to be close as a group because we already had common ground.”
The Rebels won one game in 2017. The club has never made the finals. But Wessels isn’t shy to talk about winning.
“That’s the point of the game,” Wessels said. “And if you’re not even prepared to back yourself to get there then what’s the point?
“That doesn’t mean it’s going to happen tomorrow, but we are saying if we apply ourselves and work hard we can get there.
“I wouldn’t have come here if I didn’t truly believe that and that’s the same as a lot of the players — we believe we can be successful.”
The Rebels struggle to attract big crowds at AAMI Park.
And all at Rebels HQ know that winning is the best way to see those attendances rise.
Chief executive Baden Stephenson concedes there is “definitely more pressure and more expectation” on the club now.
“Yes, there’s definitely some expectations,” Stephenson said.
“There’s some steely determination to build something here. It’s a big challenge, but I think we’re turning the ship around and making some progress.”
The Rebels lost 50-19 to the ACT Brumbies and 47-5 to the NSW Waratahs in their two trials.
But Wessels maintains he was happy enough with those games as his side continues to jell ahead of Friday night’s season opener against Queensland.
“I think if you ask any coach he’s never going to say he’s completely ready,” Wessels said.
“But I am happy with certain elements of our game.
“Probably the short answer is no, I’m not completely happy, but I never will be.
“I know we’re going to be very competitive on Friday night and we’ve got some elements of our play that are going to give us a very good chance of winning the game.”
MELBOURNE REBELS 2018 SQUAD
COACH
Dave Wessels, 35
The youngest coach in Super Rugby has one of the biggest tasks — to manage what has essentially been a merger of the Melbourne Rebels and Western Force. Highly rated and touted as a future Wallabies manager. His second full season as a head coach should be much less tumultuous than his year at the Force.
FORWARDS
PROPS
Jermaine Ainsley, Ben Daley, Tetera Faulkner, Tom Moloney, Fereti Sa’aga, Sam Talakai, Laurie Weeks,
It will likely be a completely new prop pairing that takes the Rebels forward in 2018 with Ainsley, Daley and Faulkner big gets from the Force and Talakai also likely to provide competition for spots after moving from Queensland.
HOOKERS
Anaru Rangi, Jordan Uelese
Victorian Uelese is one to watch. The young gun only made his Super Rugby debut last year, but already has two Wallabies caps to his name after impressing Michael Cheika while with the Australian under 20s.
LOCKS
Adam Coleman (C), Sam Jeffries, Geoff Parling, Matt Philip
Captain Coleman is arguably the Rebels’ biggest on-field get and the Wallabies lock will be instrumental in his side’s chances of attaining success. It will be interesting to see how former England international Parling to Super Rugby, while Jeffries returns after a horror year on the sidelines.
FLANKERS
Angus Cottrell, Colby Fainga’a, Richard Hardwick
More than 20 players left the Rebels post-2017 but the biggest loss of all was undoubtedly Sean McMahon. Force players Angus Cottrell and Richard Hardwick come in to fill the breach, but don’t be surprised to see Timani spending time here as well.
BACK ROWERS
Ross Haylett-Petty, Rob Leota, Amanaki Mafi, Lopeti Timani
Japanese star Mafi was a bright spot in a dark 2017 for the Rebels, winning the club’s player of the year award. His re-signing was a big get. Timani didn’t live up to the heights of 2016 last year, but remained in the Wallabies mix and has the talent to be a superstar.
BACKS
SCRUM HALVES
Will Genia, Harrison Goddard, Michael Ruru
Genia’s signing soon after the Rebels were declared safe from the Super Rugby cull was a huge coup. He provides experience at the back of the scrum like the Rebels have never had. But in Ruru, Genia also has someone who will be nipping at his heels for selection.
FLY HALVES
Tayler Adams, Jack Debreczeni*, Jack McGregor
Perhaps the biggest question mark over the Rebels going into 2018 is in the halves. Debreczeni wasn’t expected to return from Japan, but has and now appears a big chance to start in Round 1 despite not even officially being on the squad list. Maddocks and Hodge may yet roll through here. *Supplementary list
CENTRES
Tom English, Reece Hodge, David Horwitz, Bill Meakes, Sione Tuipulotu
Hodge was again a power for the Rebels and Wallabies in 2017 and is fast becoming one of the best players in the country. Meakes and Horwitz are great recruits, you always know what you’re going to get from club captain English, while homegrown youngster Tuipulotu isn’t without a chance of being in the first XV either.
WINGERS
Henry Hutchison, Marika Koroibete, Sefa Naivalu, Semisi Tupou
If Koroibete and Naivalu can stay fit then the Rebels boast one of the most dangerous wing pairings in Australian rugby. In his first season since crossing from the NRL Koroibete continued to improve and was a Wallaby squad regular by year’s end, while Naivalu’s talent knows no bounds. But Koroibete (knee) will likely miss the first two games, so Maddocks may find himself on a wing.
FULLBACKS
Dane Haylett-Petty, Jack Maddocks
Haylett-Petty is another huge get for the Rebels, as the 18-time Wallaby will provide plenty of explosiveness from the back. But Maddocks is a star on the rise and he will be pushing for starts from Round 1 — if not at fullback, then elsewhere in the backs.
REBELS 2018 FIXTURE
R1 BYE
R2 Fri, Feb 23 v Queensland Reds, AAMI Park
R3 Sat, Mar 3 v Tokyo Sunwolves, Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium
R4 Fri, Mar 9 v ACT Brumbies, AAMI Park
R5 Sun, Mar 18 v NSW Waratahs, Allianz Stadium
R6 Fri, Mar 23 v Durban Sharks, AAMI Park
R7 Fri, Mar 30 v Wellington Hurricanes, AAMI Park
R8 BYE
R9 Sat, Apr 14 v Buenos Aires Jaguares, AAMI Park
R10 Sat, Apr 21 v Pretoria Bulls, Loftus Versfeld
R11 Sat, Apr 28 v Cape Town Stormers, Newlands
R12 Fri, May 4 v Canterbury Crusaders, AAMI Park
R13 Sat, May 12 v ACT Brumbies, GIO Stadium
R14 BYE
R15 Fri, May 25 v Tokyo Sunwolves, AAMI Park
R16 Sat, Jun 2 v Auckland Blues, Eden Park
R17 Fri, Jun 29 v NSW Waratahs, AAMI Park
R18 Fri, Jul 6 v Queensland Reds, Suncorp Stadium
R19 Sat, Jul 14 v Otago Highlanders, Forsyth Barr Stadium
AUSTRALIAN CONFERENCE ODDS
$2.35 Waratahs
$2.75 Brumbies
$3.50 Rebels
$9 Reds
$101 Sunwolves
WINDLEY’S VERDICT
The Rebels can dare to dream of making the finals for the first time. While there is hope the Sunwolves may be slightly more competitive, they aren’t a serious threat, while Queensland has endured many an off-season woe. ACT has been the standout Aussie team of the last two seasons and will be strong again, while NSW has recruited well but has repeatedly found ways to be an unfulfilled talent in recent years. The Rebels have the talent. The big question is how long they take to gel. If Dave Wessels can get it together quickly then there’s no telling what this side can do.
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