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Rebels take risks for do-or-die clash with Reds
By AAP
The Melbourne Rebels will roll the dice against the Queensland Reds by naming two openside flankers in Richard Hardwick and Brad Wilkin in their back row for their Super Rugby AU qualifying final on Saturday night.
The Reds have their tails up after trouncing the Brumbies, who are already into next week's grand final, while they are hoping to have up to 20,000 fans on their side at Suncorp Stadium.
Rebels coach Dave Wessels says his team, playing in their first ever final, feel like they have nothing to lose.
They see the Queensland back row of Wallabies-in-waiting Fraser McReight and Harry Wilson, and skipper Liam Wright, who made his Test debut last year, as a major attacking threat.
"We think the Reds back row is a primary threat so we've elected to play two sevens there," Wessels said on Thursday.
"Some of the stuff they've done around the breakdown gives them a lot of energy and Fraser McReight has made a big difference.
"We've picked two sevens to put some pressure on the ball ourselves with Brad Wilkin playing really well and Dickie (Richard) Hardwick probably had the best game I'd seen him play last week so it's hard not to pick those guys."
Wessels said he had some concerns about the Reds' breakdown, that that had "flagged to the referee".
"There's some stuff around the breakdown that we want them to keep an eye on," he said.
It will be Melbourne's first finals appearance after 10 years in the competition and comes after they've spent the entire season interstate with Victoria in lockdown.
In other selection changes, Andrew Kellaway has returned on the wing while Frank Lomani will start at halfback with James Tuttle ruled out with a hamstring injury.
Rampaging prop Pone Fa'amausili has again been left out as he recovers from a hamstring strain.
Rebels: Dane Haylett-Petty, Andrew Kellaway, Reece Hodge, Bill Meakes, Marika Koroibete, Matt Toomua (c), Frank Lomani , Isi Naisarani, Richard Hardwick, Brad Wilkin, Trevor Hosea, Matt Philip, Jermaine Ainsley, Jordan Uelese, Cameron Orr. Reserves: Efi Ma'afu, Matt Gibbon, Cabous Eloff, Michael Stolberg, Rob Leota, Theo Strang, Andrew Deegan, Campbell Magnay.
- Melissa Woods
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Latest Comments
Sad but unfortunately true as long as negativity is rewarded and positivity " penalised"
Go to comments“Explain clearly how that’s not an achievement?”
It is an achievement. It is less of an achievement than he managed with Barcelona. You said that ”He has gotten better with age. By every measure.” He hasn’t. Doesn’t mean he isn’t still extremely good though!
”I thought you don’t care what certain managers did 10 years ago…”
are you really this incapable of understanding the context of what I’m saying? My point is that Gatland was a good coach ten years ago, and isn’t a good coach now. So what he did ten years ago is relevant to whether he was good ten years ago - that is pretty basic stuff.
On the other hand, what Les Kiss did ten years ago isn’t relevant to how good he is now, just as what Gatland did ten years ago isn’t relevant to how good he is now.
”So you haven’t watched even a minute of Super Rugby this year?”
I was replying to your comment, given you have the memory of a goldfish and are unable to scroll up, I’m remind you what you said:
“Ireland won a long over due slam in 2009. The last embers of a golden generation was kicked on by a handful of young new players and a new senior coach. Kiss was brought in as defence coach and was the reason they won it. They’d the best defence in the game at the time. He all but invented the choke tackle. Fittingly they backed it up in the next world cup in their 2011 pool match against… Australia. The instantly iconic image of Will Genia getting rag-dolled by Stephen Ferris.”
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