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Rebels bolstered before crucial clash
By Online Editors
The Melbourne Rebels have made three changes to their starting XV ahead of their crucial clash against the Queensland Reds at Suncorp Stadium on Friday.
Wallaby prop Tetera Faulkner will make his first Super Rugby appearance since the win over the Brumbies in Canberra in May, while wing Marika Koroibete has shaken off a back injury that saw him be a late withdrawal from last week’s match against the Waratahs.
Jermaine Ainsley – fresh from his inclusion in the Wallabies squad from the June series against Ireland – will start at tighthead.
Wallaby flank Richard Hardwick also makes a return to the Rebels line-up via the bench; the 23-year-old in line for his first Super Rugby match since injuring his knee against the Bulls back in Round 11.
The Rebels will also celebrate a special milestone with flank Colby Fainga’a in line to make his 100th Super Rugby appearance on Friday. Fainga’a joined the Rebels in 2014 after 35 appearances for the Brumbies.
MELBOURNE REBELS
15. Dane Haylett-Petty, 14. Jack Maddocks, 13. Tom English (C), 12. Billy Meakes, 11. Marika Koroibete, 10. Reece Hodge, 9. Michael Ruru, 8. Amanaki Mafi, 7. Colby Fainga’a, 6. Angus Cottrell, 5. Geoff Parling, 4. Matt Philip, 3. Jermaine Ainsley, 2. Anaru Rangi, 1. Tetera Faulkner.
Replacements: 16. Nathan Charles, 17. Fereti Sa’aga, 18. Sam Talakai, 19. Ross Haylett-Petty, 20. Richard Hardwick, 21. Harrison Goddard, 22. Jack Debreczeni, 23. Sefa Naivalu.
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Latest Comments
Nah, that just needs some more variation. Chip kicks, grubber stabs, all those. Will Jordan showed a pretty good reason why the rush was bad for his link up with BB.
If you have an overlap on a rush defense, they naturally cover out and out and leave a huge gap near the ruck.
It also helps if both teams play the same rules. ARs set the offside line 1m past where the last mans feet were😅
Go to commentsYeah nar, should work for sure. I was just asking why would you do it that way?
It could be achieved by outsourcing all your IP and players to New Zealand, Japan, and America, with a big Super competition between those countries raking it in with all of Australia's best talent to help them at a club level. When there is enough of a following and players coming through internally, and from other international countries (starting out like Australia/without a pro scene), for these high profile clubs to compete without a heavy australian base, then RA could use all the money they'd saved over the decades to turn things around at home and fund 4 super sides of their own that would be good enough to compete.
That sounds like a great model to reset the game in Aus. Take a couple of decades to invest in youth and community networks before trying to become professional again. I just suggest most aussies would be a bit more optimistic they can make it work without the two decades without any pro club rugby bit.
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