Why the Rebels could be sweet in 2020 if they can cash in on the Saracens saga

As a different type of playmaker to Quade Cooper, we don't know what the 47-test veteran’s best position is. It could be flyhalf or perhaps inside centre, but his best position for the Rebels in 2020 is in the first receiver role.

To unlock the full attacking potential of the Melbourne backline, the Rebels can ill-afford to break-in a new starting flyhalf this season.

Their forwards may not be pushovers, but if the Rebels are to be successful this season, they will need to maximise their opportunities while in possession, and To’omua affords the requisite experience and guile to do so.

The loss of Wallabies starlet Jack Maddocks to the Waratahs will not be fatal to the Rebel’s cause, although their depth may be exposed if senior players start picking up injuries - an issue every Super Rugby franchise encounters.

Wealthy European clubs can afford bolstered depth with star-studded benches, yet seldom will one find experienced test-capped players spending extended times on the bench.

Relevantly, there is perhaps an opportunity on the horizon for the Rebels to lure former Wallabies lock, Will Skelton, back to Australia.

The giant New South Welshman has played his best rugby for English powerhouse club Saracens, who managed to get the 27-year-old fit (finally!).

Skelton last year confirmed his commitment to Saracens by signing with the club until 2021, thus turning down a World Cup opportunity with Michael Cheika’s Wallabies in doing so.

Times can change quickly in professional rugby, though, and as the Saracens saga unfolds, it appears the North London club are due for relegation, leaving the exorbitant player wage bill unsustainable.

Big Will may be out of a job very soon and that is where the Melbourne Rebels and Rugby Australia could pounce.

While it is averred that if Skelton were interested in returning to the Australian game, his choice would be to return to his former side, the Waratahs. However, their roster may be full.

Perhaps the opportunity to work with Rebels lineout coach Geoff Parling, himself a former English and British and Irish Lions international, could lure Skelton to AAMI Park.

Northern hemisphere coaches have, after all, assisted in turning Skelton from an orb capable of short-term destruction whilst searching for the next breath and void of lineout skills into a genuine, hard-working lock forward of international class.

Whatever transpires in the Saracens saga, the Rebels have a shrewd head coach in Wessels who will have an astute plan for his 2020 side, but they will need to be adaptable as the game presents.

Powerhouse forward Matt Philip will be looking to impress new Wallabies boss Dave Rennie, and I expect he and the twice capped back-rower Richard Hardwick to be the heartbeat of that Rebels pack.

But, with the Rebels lacking an internationally experienced forward with more than a handful of test caps within their ranks, their key weakness is evident.

Perhaps Will Skelton could be lured to the liquorice box if the deal is sweet enough?

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