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Rebels ready for their first knockout match of the year - in the final round of the regular season
By Online Editors
The Super Rugby finals have come a week early for the Melbourne Rebels, according to their veteran halfback Will Genia.
The Rebels are treating Friday night's must-win last round clash against the Chiefs at AAMI Park as a final.
Melbourne must rebound from their shattering 66-0 loss to the Crusaders last Saturday in Christchurch, and beat the Waikato team to secure a maiden top eight play-off spot.
The Chiefs, who upset the Crusaders before their bye round, are looking for a bonus-point victory for them to book a finals position.
Genia, who missed the heavy defeat as part of the Wallabies rest policy, said his teammates were quickly moving on.
"The message has been strongly around not feeling sorry for yourself and understanding that we are in a position that if we win this week, we play finals," Genia said.
"That's enough motivation to want to pick yourself up and I think the guys have done that really well."
Genia, along with Quade Cooper and Matt Toomua, are the only players in the Rebels line-up who have played in Super Rugby finals.
He said his teammates needed to embrace the pressure and the opportunity.
"Knockout football has come for us a week early in that if we win, we go through," Genia said.
"It's about understanding that it's one game at a time now.
"Once you get to this point of the season it doesn't matter where you finish on the ladder, whether it's first or eighth, if you win you go through and I think if we have that attitude and we prepare with that mindset I think we will do well."
Genia had his right leg heavily bandaged on Tuesday. He said he had twisted his knee but wasn't in doubt for the game.
Test lock Adam Coleman hurt his shoulder during the Crusaders match and is their only injury concern.
Genia said the Chiefs had the ability to score plenty of points, but also have points scored against them.
"If we can tidy up parts of our game to allow ourselves to play some good rugby which we know we can, we know we can score some points," he said.
Genia is off contract, with the Rebels hoping that this won't be the Wallabies star's last game in Melbourne.
Genia wouldn't be drawn.
"I'm not too sure - we will wait and see," the 31-year-old said.
"It's all sort of up in the air a bit."
- AAP
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Latest Comments
Excellent points Mz. Because of other commitments I have just watched the game.
Interesting watching it after reading all the news reports especially in the English media. I was expecting to see a game that the ABs were very lucky to win. What I saw was a game that England showed their tactical incompetence and their inability to construct any try scoring opportunities.
They can go on deluding themselves that they were unlucky to lose ( as Borthwick said post match ) but until they stop relying on rush defence and goal kicking to win I feel they're doomed to be ranked 4 or 5 in the world.
Can't wait until the weekend to see how the Wallabies go against them
Though I dare say Walter will be hoping for an England win.
Go to commentsIF SA and NZ win then its 1,2,3 SA/NZ/IRL Otherwise as you were. This is largely irrelevant beyond bragging rights.
As I have pointed out elsewhere the practical use of the Rankings is to determine the seedings bands for the RWC draw. The draw takes place early 2026 and hopefully the rankings will be taken from then.
Important to be in the top 6, the top 12. (and likely the top 4).
This is because there are now 6 groups in the RWC 2027.
If you are in top 6 you are in Seeding Band 1. That means none of the other top 6 will be in your group.
Seeding Band 2 are teams from 7-12, who will have a top 6 team but no other 7-12 team.
After England's defeat by NZ there is clear water between NZ in 3rd, France in 4th and England in 5th. England are desperate for top4, ill come back and explain why later.
Lets look at Seeding Band 1 and 6th place. If you make 6th, no top 6 team is in your group, you are top dog. If you win your group, you won't be facing a top 6 team in your 1/8th final, you will be facing a weaker team. If you fail to make 6th place you WILL have a top 6 team in your group and if you don't win your group you WILL (probably) meet a top 6 in the 1/8 final. That's massive.
Its Argentina holding 6th now. Assuming England hold 5th, then its a 4 horse race for 6th. Argentina, Scotland, Italy and ...Australia. (ranked 6,7,8,9)
Australia play the Lions in NH summer 2025 they are running out of time to get up to 6th for their own RWC. They MUST make a move now. They must beat Wales and they really must beat Scotland to gain points and take points off them. Could they surprise England or Ireland? England may be the better bet but Schmidt knows Ireland so well having masterminded their downfall in France.
Another one to watch is Italy V Argentina. Italy are ambitious and they will want to start pushing the likes of Argentina. If they win this they are still in the hunt. Well worth a watch either way.
Top4: I think the top 6 will be seeded, all the way through from the draw. If thats the case then the top 4 will be seeded to avoid each other until the semi. Good for more certainty around ticket sales etc. That's a possible reason why England want in there. You're not in there you are hitting a top 4 team in a QF. That's an extra 50:50 match you can do without and avoid by being top 4.
Lets look at what Seeding bands might look like with todays rankings:
Seeding Band 1
IRE/SA/NZ/FRA/ENG/ARG
Seeding Band 2
SCO/ITA/AUS/FIJ/WAL/GEO
Sample Aussie strongest pool opponent and 1/8th final opponent if in top 6
Strongest pool opponent: FIJI
1/8 final opponent GEORGIA
Prognosis: advance to 1/4 and potentially beyond
Sample Aussie strongest pool opponent and 1/8th final opponent if NOT in top 6
Strongest pool opponent: SOUTH AFRICA
1/8 final opponent NEW ZEALAND
Prognosis: You know the prognosis
I am pretty sure this is not lost on Joe Schmidt?
Keep in mind when enjoying the matches.
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