MEDIA RELEASE

Rebels kick-off new era with bonus point win  

 
The Melbourne Rebels have kicked-off their 2018 Vodafone Super Rugby campaign with a bonus point victory over the Queensland Reds courtesy of a 45-19 win at AAMI Park in Melbourne on Friday.

The Rebels couldn’t have asked for a better start to their new era under Head Coach Dave Wessels as the hosts ran in seven-tries-to-three in front of 10,021 boisterous fans to start the season.

Doubles to new recruit Dane Haylett-Petty, flyhalf Jack Debreczeni and winger Sefa Naivalu, along with a helper from Tom English, saw the Rebels record their largest ever Super Rugby score and equal the club’s largest winning margin.

The season opener reached boiling point in just the ninth minute when Reds skipper Scott Higginbotham was shown a red card against his former side for a dangerous tackle on Matt Philip.

After missing the pre-season trial matches with a back injury, new recruit Will Genia impressed in his first outing for the club as his speed, game management and sublime skill capitalised on the man advantage.

Rebels captain Adam Coleman led from the front to settle his new-look side as the hosts found their composure after a scrappy start to the game.

Despite the numerical disadvantage, the Reds broke the deadlock midway through the first half when the loose ball bounced into the arms of Duncan Paia’aua to score untouched under the posts.

Genia’s debut was nearly ended early when Lukhan Tui was shown a yellow card in the 23rd minute for a dangerous tackle on the scrumhalf which saw the visitors down to 13 men for 10 minutes.

The Rebels capitalised on the advantage just two minutes later when Lopeti Timani found Naivalu free on the left wing with a cut out pass to score the first of his two tries for the night.

The Reds responded in the 28th minute when Chris Feauai-Sautia drove through the Rebels defence to offload to a rampaging Samu Kerevi who crossed to give his side a 14-7 lead after James Tuttle converted the try.

The Rebels levelled the scores 10 minutes before the break when a penalty and quick tap from Genia had the Reds reeling on their goal line before English crashed through the defence to make it 14-14.

The hosts took the lead for the first time in the match in the 34th minute when good vision and a wide ball from Jack Maddocks found Naivalu all alone on the wing to complete his double.

The Rebels struck again on the stroke of half-time when Genia and English combined to put Haylett-Petty over for his first try in Rebels colours and send the hosts to half-time with a 26-14 advantage.

The Rebels picked up where they left off two minutes after the restart as Genia orchestrated another try with a precise pass to find Jack Debreczeni, who dummied right to run through for his first try of the night. Debreczeni converted to extend the Rebels lead to 33-14.

A long-range intercept try from Haylett-Petty in the 47th minute saw the Rebels equal the club’s previous record of six tries in a single Super Rugby match.

The club record was broken when Debreczeni crossed for his side’s seventh try of the night in the 55th minute to cap off 38 unanswered points and seal the bonus point victory for the Rebels.

The Reds scored a late consolation try through Chris Feaaui-Sautia in the 67th minute but the night belonged to the Rebels.

Melbourne Rebels 45 (Naivalu 2, D.Haylett-Petty 2, Debreczeni 2, English tries; Debreczeni 5 cons) defeated Queensland Reds 19 (Paia’aua, Kerevi, Feaaui-Sautia tries; Tuttle 2 cons)