Melbourne Rebels 2011

[en_force_er]

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,27702927-5002381,00.html

Melbourne Rebels' assault on Japan ahead of their Super 15 campaign
By Jon Geddes
September 14, 2010
Melbourne Rebels will kick off preparations for their historic first Super Rugby game against New South Wales Waratahs by going on a two-game tour to Japan in November.

In a measure of how determined the new side are to hit the ground running in the local derby, the Rebels will play against Japan A and the Suntory club where Eddie Jones is coaching director.

"It will be the first time we have got together and we will be trying a few things out," coach Rod Macqueen revealed.

"Certainly we are going to be very rusty in bringing 30 players together and playing for the first time after six weeks is going to be a bit difficult, but that is what the trip is all about.

"It's also about getting to know a bit more about each other and the various attributes of the different players and starting to put things together."

In the New Year the Rebels have trials planned against Fiji, Samoa and the Crusaders prior to the Waratahs game in Melbourne on February 18.

"We will have some reasonably tough games coming into the first game against NSW," Macqueen said.

"Any first game is important, particularly when you are a new franchise, and I'm really pleased to be playing NSW because we will know exactly where we stand from day one."

One of the Rebels' biggest signings, former All Blacks prop Greg Somerville, emphasised the significance of that first game.

"There are going to be people who have come along with high hopes of us doing well," Somerville said.

"It's a chance for us to make our first statement. I think everyone was secretly hoping it was going to be the Waratahs. The players are going to be up for it."

 

[Dr J]

Having pre-season games against Fiji and Samoa are really astute moves, I reckon. They've got all the Friday night games during the season to get the corporates in and what with the large numbers of Pacific Islander expats in Melbourne those two pre-season games should hopefully draw a large crowd and generate some interest.

 

[Eyes and Ears]

I am hearing that Rory Sidey could be headed to Melbourne. Probably a good move as I think the Rebels are light on in the centres particularly if Mortlock doesn't play much.

 

[en_force_er]

Rory Sidey looks to be a decent player to me.

I hope he earns a regular starting jersey rather than playing there because Mortlock is broken.

 

[DPK]

Rebels sign up Robinson
ESPNscrum
September 14, 2010

Wellington hooker Ged Robinson has become the latest addition to the Melbourne Rebels' squad for next season's Super Rugby campaign.

The 27-year-old will move to Australia at the end of this season's ITM Cup campaign after he was dropped by the Hurricanes franchise this season. Robinson has operated as the Lions' second choice hooker in this year's competition and will hope to nail down a starting spot when he moves across the Tasman.

Robinson's arrival ends the Rebels' long search for a No.2, which has reportedly seen them turned down by Springboks Bismarck du Plessis and Adriaan Strauss.

Having signed a one year deal, the hooker is relishing the prospect - also revealing that he was close to joining the Western Force.

"I suppose it's a little bit ironic going from last year where I thought I played pretty well [for Wellington] and missed out on the Super 14 and not getting a lot of game time this year and making Super 15," Robinson said. "I was in talks with the Force early on as well and that fell through at the last minute.

"I was just looking for game time. I wanted to play and I felt like if I stayed here I'd be bench riding a lot more or even just in the squad and I want to play. Australia is struggling a little bit for hookers at the moment so it's a good option."

© Scrum.com

 

[Lee Grant]

The Rebels were certainly struggling for hookers, that's for sure, with Freier looking fragile already.

Sidey was a disappointment to me - not that he was as dud for the Tahs, but because they thought he was only good enough to play in 2 games from the bench. Indeed, he didn't look anything special in the Junior Tahs matches I saw. I was disappointed because he played so well in his one season stint for the Dragons, at least in the games I saw, and was a regular starter.

I hope that Lachlan Mitchell, about whom I made the same remarks as for Sidey, has a more remarkable 1st Super season.

 

[en_force_er]

I think Australia has good strength in the hooking department and the we needn't bother looking for a NZ hooker, let alone an older on who never quite made the top level in his country.

Taione for Manly is a terrific rugby player and Roberts at Uni is great too (keep in mind we are talking about potential 3rd stringers, not starters). If you are keen to block up the foreign quoter why not get Halangahu (who is at least an Aussie product).

This reeks of lack of faith is Aussie stocks for little to no reason.

 

[Lee Grant]

Exactly right

As I've said many a time the hooker futures for Oz Rugby are good. TPN and Moore plus S.Finger are the incumbents; then after the RWC, Fitzpatrick and Charles and perhaps Whittaker will be causing them a bit of cheek - and the current Oz Schools hooker, Roach, is a TPN clone - so who knows?

On the Super level Roberts would have been a good get for Melbourne as a few of us have said before and Elvis is still in the building.

 

[en_force_er]

...Elvis is still in the building.

From what I've seen he seems to be having the better recent form but he has been with a more dominant pack and he could be having a freak season but I still would of loved to see him playing Super rugby.

The reason I mentioned Roberts first is the Rebels' obvious Sydney Uni link.

 

[jason]

Don't know much about club-level rugby, so I can't comment on Aussie alternatives to the international players that have been signed, but the squad just looks piss-weak. How hard a sell could it have been? Brand new club, great city, RWC winning coach, expanded competition...I'd have thought high-quality foreign players would be queuing up, not some journeyman Kiwi who can't even make a S14 team.

 

[qwerty51]

Game of the season:

Lions vs Rebels

 

[en_force_er]

Game of the season:

Lions vs Rebels

Let's not be harsh here! I think the Rebels will do ok.

 

[qwerty51]

Let's not be harsh here! I think the Rebels will do ok.

You look at there best XV and I'm sure there's some club sides that could put together better sides. Add in the fact it's their first season so they're starting from scratch and it doesn't look good for them. They'll win 1 game.

 

[DPK]

Don't know much about club-level rugby, so I can't comment on Aussie alternatives to the international players that have been signed, but the squad just looks piss-weak. How hard a sell could it have been? Brand new club, great city, RWC winning coach, expanded competition...I'd have thought high-quality foreign players would be queuing up, not some journeyman Kiwi who can't even make a S14 team.

I would think most foreign players would want to stay loyal to their clubs and stay under the noses of their respective national coaches in the lead up to the RWC.

I don't know how many times it has to be said, but I think everyone agrees that the Victorian side would have done a lot better setting up in the year after the RWC.

 

[jason]

Makes sense, hadn't thought of that!

 

[fatprop]

Wellington Lions, Junior All Blacks rake Ged Robinson joins Melbourne Rebels

By staff writers
September 15, 2010

Melbourne Rebels have strengthened their foundation Super Rugby squad with the signing of Wellington Lions and Junior All Blacks hooker Ged Robinson.

Robinson, the starting hooker in the Lions team that lost the 2009 Air New Zealand Cup final to Canterbury 28-20, also played five matches for the Hurricanes in the 2009 Super 14.

"In the mould of traditional Kiwi hookers, he is technically very strong in the set-piece and offers a high, energetic work rate around the field," Rebels assistant coach Mark Bakewell said of Robinson.

"He will fit in very well to the forward squad we are building.

"The squad was always going to have a minimum of three hookers, and I am delighted we now have Ged onboard. He joins Adam Freier and Heath Tessman in the squad's hooking department, and I am sure competition among them for the starting role will be fierce."

Robinson said of his move to Melbourne: "The Rebels are building an exciting new team in one of the world's great sporting cities.

"I am looking forward to the challenge of being part of the new foundation club, and being part of a squad that contains quality players from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, England and Wales is really exciting."

 

[Mojoman]

Good signing as insurance incase Frier's back is poop. Robinson is a solid hooker.

 

[fatprop]

It gives them someone who has more ability to start a match now, whereas the other options are projects

 

[RugbyReg]

ok, let's do a little comparison between a POSSIBLE first Rebels team, the Brumbies first side and then the Force first side:

Rebels (if full strength):

15 Luke Rooney
14 Cooper Vanu
13 Lachlan Mitchell
12 Stirling Mortlock
11 Mark Gerrard
10 Danny Cipriani
9 Richard Kingi
8 Gareth Delve
7 Michael Lipman
6 Jarrod Saffy
5 Adam Byrnes
4 Al Campbell
3 Laurie Weeks
2 Adam Freier
1 Greg Sommerville.

Now that's full strength, which might not be too likely. But let's run with it.

The Brumbies first team v Transval in 1996 was:

15 Rod Kafer
14 Mitch Hardy
13 Steve Larkham
12 Elisi Vunipola
11 Joe Roff
10 David Knox
9 George Gregan
8 Owen Finegan
7 John Langford
6 Ipolito Fenukitau
5 Craig Sweeny
4 David Giffen
3 Ewen McKenzie
2 Marco Caputo
1 Patricio Noriega

Now you take out McKenzie (45) and Pato (25 for the Pumas) and there's not a lot of test caps there. Gregan had played 10, Roff 4, Knox 4 (over 10 years). Troy Coker and Pat Howard would debut later in the year. But all in all its not an experienced team with a lot of unknowns. Caputo, Giffen, Langford, Finegan, Hardy, James Holbeck, Larkham, Brett Robinson would all debut within the next two years as they were provided the opportunity to play at the higher level.

To the Force, their first team v the Brumbies in 2006 was:

15 James Hilgendorf
14 Scott Staniforth
13 Junior Pelesasa
12 Lachlan Mackay
11 Digby Ioane
10 Scott Daruda
9 Matt Henjak
8 Scott Fava
7 Matt Hodgson
6 Luke Doherty
5 Nathan Sharpe
4 John Welborn
3 David Fitter
2 Brendan Cannon
1 Gareth Hardy

The likes of David Pocock, Pek Cowan, Brock James, Cameron Shepherd, Richard Brown and Tai McIsaacs would all feature later in the season. Now they went heavy on the experience, particularly in the tight 5. Cannon, Fitter and Sharpe were all incumbent Wallabies in their respective positions. Welborn was a local boy who debuted for Australia way back in 1996.

Fava had made his debut the Spring tour before, and only had 2 caps from the bench, so other than him it was a capless backrow. In the backs Henjak had 4 caps off the bench and Stani was returning from the 'wilderness' having played 3 tests from his debut in 1999 until 2002.

So the point? I think on paper we can underestimate a team. I think it will be what the coaches make of the unit and how they mould them into a working group. Also, its damn hard to recruit players - real star players - to a new organisation. The Brumbies probably made it easier because that was a success and you can bet that McQueen is focusing on getting a similar model going that may not mean everything clicks this year, but over the next couple the Rebels will be one of the most attractive teams to play for. IMHO.

 

[Doc]

I'm struggling to see Kingi start. The Reds have been a black hole for scrum halves for a number of years (until Genia emergence) and they certainly didn't rate Kingi. He got picked on that one tour, stock got elevated and then nothing. Also, why would sign a player like Cords and pay him if not to use him?