The highs and lows
There are so many things to mention. This is just a selection of them.
High – The discovery of Reece Hodge.
After impressing in trial matches, Tony thought he’d give Reece a go in the round one fixture in Perth. Not much was known about the boy from Manly, other than some good NRC form. By the end of the match, after scoring two Tries on debut, Rebel fans discovered a new excitement machine; his name was Reece Hodge.
Reece, in all his glory.
Reece has taken all before him, with a debut season you can only dream about. In one season he broken records (nine tries in a season), broken gain lines, all on the way to a call-up to the Wallaby training squad. Whist he didn’t make his debut, Cheika is likely to pick him for the end of season tour. Not bad for a debut season.
High – Going top of the Australian conference.
The round nine clash against the Cheetahs marked a significant milestone for the Rebels; moving to the top of the Australian Super Rugby conference ladder. A try on the siren to Tamati Ellison secured bonus-point victory, and a spot clear on top of the ladder. The Brumbies and Waratahs allowed the Rebels to keep top spot for a few weeks.
Tamati’s Try sealed the deal.
High – Victory in Sydney.
On a mild April day, the Rebels once again took on the Waratahs in Sydney. In their short history, the Rebels had not defeated the Waratahs in the harbour town.. At first, the score lines were unflattering. Only last year, they came within a whisker of victory. This year, they succeeded.
A first half onslaught against an underdone Waratahs set up the victory. The Waratahs did fight back, but they came up short. For the dedicated Rebels fans, both in the crowd at ALLIANZ stadium, and watching at home, the victory was cherished. Even better, “Weary” came back home.
Welcome home, Weary.
Low – Playing against New Zealand teams.
It’s hard to ignore the most glaring problem in Australian Super Rugby; the inability to defeat Kiwi teams, either home or abroad. For the Rebels to be genuine finals contenders, wins against quality Kiwi teams was a must. Sadly, two comprehensives losses at home (Highlanders and Hurricanes), a close loss to the Blues, and drubbings against the Chiefs and Crusaders dented any realistic hopes of a finals appearance. The Kiwi teams play with more noticeable flair, deft skills and confidence. The kiwi team have struck the balance between flair, skills and simple brute force. The Aussie teams just seem to have very few answers to beating Kiwi teams, and we must find them soon.
Beauden Barrett – expert in destroying Australian teams.
Low – Injury toll.
It’s difficult to determine if it’s just back luck, or we have a fundamental problem in S&C or athletic performance. What’s clear is this; the injury toll crippled our chances of a finals series. The fact that 38 different players wore the five-star says a lot about the injury toll.
Case in point – Mike Harris. In his two seasons he has only played a full 80 minutes on two occasions. Injuries area cruel beast, and no player s wants to watch a match from the sidelines. Mike is a total professional and always gave his best when on the field. And, by no means, do we blame the absence of Mike on our fortunes this year. However, imagine what could have been if Mike played in (and completed) more matches? Would that have eliminated the famous last quarter fade outs? Would that wealth of experience turn a narrow loss into a gritty win?
Mike Harris – Injury plagued his time in Melbourne.
We’re not experts in coaching, so we can’t pretend to have the answers. A casual observer may link the heavy preseason, grueling travel schedule, and some bad luck to our injury woes. We can’t control the schedule, but we can control how we plan to cope with recovery and injury management. Hopefully, we can get the balance right next year.
