Super Rugby AU Round 10 - Rebels v Force, 3.00pm AEST Sat 5th September

[GoMelbRebels]

The Melbourne Rebels “host” the Western Force in Newcastle (pronounced New-car-sal if you are from NSW).

The Rebels must beat the Force by at least 4 points if they are to make the playoffs.

The Force are yet to win in Super Rugby AU and would love to make this their first and deny the Rebels their first finals berth. Can the Rebels step up and not be overwhelmed by the occasion or will the Force get their revenge?

 

[liquor box]

The Melbourne Rebels “host” the Western Force in Newcastle (pronounced New-car-sal if you are from NSW).

The Rebels must beat the Force by at least 4 points if they are to make the playoffs.

The Force are yet to win in Super Rugby AU and would love to make this their first and deny the Rebels their first finals berth. Can the Rebels step up and not be overwhelmed by the occasion or will the Force get their revenge?

Does the 4 points have to be in regular time?

I want the Rebels to have the opportunity to get beaten by the Reds the next week but don't want the force to lose at full time.

I want an extra time try to the Rebels to get the win and make the final

 

[GoMelbRebels]

Does the 4 points have to be in regular time?

I want the Rebels to have the opportunity to get beaten by the Reds the next week but don't want the force to lose at full time.

I want an extra time try to the Rebels to get the win and make the final

Your happiness is important to me, so yes. It’s based on the final, final score.

 

[Rob42]

The Melbourne Rebels “host” the Western Force in Newcastle (pronounced New-car-sal if you are from NSW).

The Rebels must beat the Force by at least 4 points if they are to make the playoffs.

The Force are yet to win in Super Rugby AU and would love to make this their first and deny the Rebels their first finals berth. Can the Rebels step up and not be overwhelmed by the occasion or will the Force get their revenge?

Do you pronounce it New-cassel, like in the north of England? Is that a general Victorian thing?

 

[Mr Wobbly]

Do you pronounce it New-cassel, like in the north of England? Is that a general Victorian thing?

I originally came from Castlemaine. Cassel-maine, if you like.

Nothing irks me more than hearing some wanker pronouncing it K-arse-hole-maine.

I think the correct way to pronounce a place name is the way the locals do..... so Newk-arse-l it is.

 

[Mr Wobbly]

Regarding the footy though..... The Rebels have a pretty good history of stinking the place up in must win games.

Force by 6

 

[GoMelbRebels]

I originally came from Castlemaine. Cassel-maine, if you like.

Nothing irks me more than hearing some wanker pronouncing it K-arse-hole-maine.

I think the correct way to pronounce a place name is the way the locals do... so Newk-arse-l it is.

Being from NSW I go with the aarsal (the correct way). And they are potato scallops...

 

[Mr Wobbly]

Being from NSW I go with the aarsal (the correct way). And they are potato scallops.

Oh you poor, misguided fool. They're potato cakes!

 

[GoMelbRebels]

Regarding the footy though... The Rebels have a pretty good history of stinking the place up in must win games.

Force by 6

I too am lacking confidence about this match. Looking at the past match-ups, even if we sneak over the line, it may not be by enough. Imagine missing out by one for and against point. That would be a Rebels thing! Time for the Rebels to become a bunch of arrogant bastards!

 

[Braveheart81]

I think this is a bridge too far for the Force but gee, it would be a great story if they could deny the Rebels a playoff spot.

 

[Braveheart81]

If the Rebels won by 3 making the points differential the same, does anyone know what the next countback method is?

 

[KOB1987]

Most tries, then net try differential.

 

[Braveheart81]

Most tries, then net try differential.

So we would need the Rebels to win 5 tries to 4 and a margin of 3 and then we'd be all locked up on everything and possibly go to a coin flip!

 

[KevinO]

So we would need the Rebels to win 5 tries to 4 and a margin of 3 and then we'd be all locked up on everything and possibly go to a coin flip!

Ah come, on. Send 5 kickers to the SCG and have a shoot out. more fun.

 

[Equalizer]

Unless you have kicked the door down and confidently marched into the finals like the Brumbies, i would take any finals inclusion with a grain of salt. In a year where 60% of the teams qualify to play finals and a 50% win loss ratio is enough to get you there, thats kind of lowering the bar.

Good luck if the Rebels make it, but i would be looking at it in the context of the extraordinary situation of this years competition.

 

[dru]

Unless you have kicked the door down and confidently marched into the finals like the Brumbies, i would take any finals inclusion with a grain of salt. In a year where 60% of the teams qualify to play finals and a 50% win loss ratio can is enough to get you there, thats kind of lowering the bar.

Good luck if the Rebels make it, but i would be looking at it in the context of the extraordinary situation of this years competition.

I'd imagine all the same that the Force would have been crowing. You can only compete in the competition you have. All the best to Rebels. One round remaining.

 

[Equalizer]

I'd imagine all the same that the Force would have been crowing. You can only compete in the competition you have. All the best to Rebels. One round remaining.

Finals should of been the top 2 teams and thats it. True, you can only compete in the competition you have, but at least make playing finals suitably difficult. If the Rebels do manage to sneak in I can see the Rugby media lauding it as a triumph for the team.

 

[GoMelbRebels]

Finals should of been the top 2 teams and thats it. True, you can only compete in the competition you have, but at least make playing finals suitably difficult. If the Rebels do manage to sneak in I can see the Rugby media lauding it as a triumph for the team.

And if the Force had made the finals this year? Yeah, top two does make more sense. I think RA were just trying to get the most out of the comp as they could to satisfy their broadcast partners. Better than NZ, though - no finals is just a letdown IMO.

 

[KevinO]

I said before the start of the season, anything other than top two would be failure of a campaign, I still stand by that. I think the Rebels have been seriously disappointing this competition and that Wessels has done his time and a new man in charge should be found, our play is stale and I think his ran out of ideas.

 

[Equalizer]

And if the Force had made the finals this year? Yeah, top two does make more sense. I think RA were just trying to get the most out of the comp as they could to satisfy their broadcast partners. Better than NZ, though - no finals is just a letdown IMO.

If the Force finished top 2 or we won more games than we lost then that would be fine. But that was unrealistic after 3 years out and having to rebuild.

I will point out that in 2014 we had a 9 win 7 loss season and still missed out on the finals to two NZ teams with less wins than us. You should have to earn a finals appearance and i think dumbing down the qualification criteria just propagates an acceptance of mediocrity.