www.sportal.com.auThe latest news from Sportal.com.auen-auCopyright © 1999-2010 Sportal Australia Pty Ltd.Mon, 28 May 2012 19:24:12 GMTSports, LatestSportal RSS Feed Generatorhttp://sportal.com.au/news-display/pyle-plans-to-learn-from-sharpe-178943Melbourne Rebels second-rower Hugh Pyle plans to learn as much as he can from fellow lock Nathan Sharpe after he earned a call-up to the Wallabies squad.Robert SomersRebels178943Mon, 28 May 2012 19:15:00 GMThttp://sportal.com.au/news-display/injury-news-good-for-beale-178623A shoulder problem saw Kurtley Beale leave the field early in the second half of the Melbourne Rebels' heavy 66-24 defeat to the Hurricanes in Wellington on Saturday.Emma StoneyRebels178623Mon, 28 May 2012 16:50:00 GMThttp://sportal.com.au/news-display/beale-injured-as-rebels-crushed-178604Wallabies star Kurtley Beale was injured as the Melbourne Rebels were defeated 66-24 by the Hurricanes on Saturday night.Hurricanes: 66 Tries: Taylor 2, Leiua 2, Savea 3, Lam, C Eaton Con: Barrett 9 Pen: Barrett Rebels: 24 Tries: Vuna 2, Freier Con: Beale 2, Kingi Pen: Beale HT: 38-17]]>Emma StoneyRebels178604Mon, 28 May 2012 16:12:00 GMThttp://sportal.com.au/news-display/preview-hurricanes-v-rebels-178190After making a mess of a winning chance against the Brumbies, the Hurricanes are left with everything to do if they are to make the playoffs this year – and the rapidly-improving Rebels are not the sort of team they can afford to slacken off against.VENUE & TIME: Westpac Stadium, Wellington, Saturday May 26 @ 1730 HEAD TO HEAD: Played 1; Hurricanes 0, Rebels 1. LAST TIME: August 12, 2011 (Melbourne) – Rebels 42-25 Hurricanes. WALKING WOUNDED: The loss of Cory Jane to an ankle sprain last week was bad news for the Hurricanes, as they lost one of their best and most experienced backs; the injury is likely to keep Jane sidelined until after the June tests. Apart from that, all the Hurricanes changes were optional. The main injury news out of Melbourne this week concerned James O’Connor, who has been sidelined for weeks with a lacerated liver and who will not be back before the competition resumes in July. Luke Jones is back from his suspension and returns to the flank, while Jono Owen gets a start in the front row as Damien Hill made only the two voluntary changes. FORM: Hurricanes: Round 9: lost to Crusaders 14-42 (h) Round 10: lost to Chiefs 14-33 (a) Round 11: beat Blues 35-19 (h) Round 12: beat Highlanders 26-20 (a) Round 13: lost to Brumbies 25-37 (h) Rebels: Round 9: lost to Waratahs 21-30 (a) Round 10: bye Round 11: lost to Bulls 35-41 (h) Round 12: beat Crusaders 28-19 (h) Round 13: beat Force 32-31 (a) The Hurricanes are still a bit hit and miss which, unless fixed right now, is likely to condemn them to a finishing spot just out of the top six. They had plenty of chances to put the Brumbies away but moderate goal-kicking (two from six) and a snooze immediately after they had gone 25-16 ahead let the Brumbies back into the match. From that point it was one-way traffic, and it was headed towards the Hurricanes line. The first hour said a fair bit about the Hurricanes – they can trouble the best and do so for long periods – while the final quarter also highlighted the team’s shortcomings. The Rebels began at Perth as if they hadn’t stopped from their win over the Crusaders, putting a clinical try on the board within moments of the start. Three more followed by halftime, when they had established a good lead, but then they froze as they found themselves in the unaccustomed position of being a favourite who had the winning of the match. The Force climbed back into it and eventually took the lead, only for Kurtley Beale to provide the decisive score with a couple of minutes to play. The Rebels’ improvement can be gathered from the fact they have taken 15 points in the last month and moved ahead of the Waratahs in the Australian conference; celebrating Nic Henderson’s 100th Super rugby appearance this week will only act as a further spur to the team. WHO'S HOT: After weeks of seeing their scrum pushed around, the Hurricanes coaches must be very impressed with Reg Goodes and his work in the front row even if he’s on the bench this week. Although a young player, Goodes has power and technique that are serving him well at the moment, while he also makes a good impact around the field. Victor Vito made telling contributions in several areas last week, taking the ball up strongly, scoring a clever try and proving a valuable lineout man. He also defended well, but gaps appeared further out that hurt his team. TJ Perenara had another excellent match which he capped with two well-taken tries, but it was his general work that impressed most. He is quick and decisive, making his clearances in timely fashion and hitting the right guy, and there is nothing to complain about in either his kicking or his defensive work. Although he made a strong start to his Super rugby career, Cadeyrn Neville was still talked about as the former AIS rower who had only been playing rugby for a short time. After another fine match at Perth, which was highlighted by two good tries, his ability as a rugby player started to command more attention. It’s certain that we haven’t seen the best of the big bloke yet. Kurtley Beale plays such an important role for the Rebels that it is hard to imagine where they’d be without him. He directs traffic nicely, makes timely breaks, kicks for goal accurately and gives the whole show an air of composure. That benefits winger Cooper Vuna, who gets plenty of play as a result. Vuna is a strong runner and clever finisher, although he is still developing his all-round game. Despite that, a man who turns chances into five points more often than not is welcome in any side. WE THINK: Even if it’s not as bad as in the old days, you still take the Hurricanes on trust a bit. They’re capable of very good performances, as the Sharks found out, and ordinary ones, as the Cheetahs and Crusaders could affirm. The Rebels, on the other hand, began in ordinary fashion but have just put together their best month as a Super rugby team. It promises to be an interesting, and likely high-scoring affair, but we’ll trust the Hurricanes to get a narrow win. TEAMS: Hurricanes: 1. Ben May, 2. Dane Coles, 3. Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, 4. Jeremy Thrush, 5. Jason Eaton, 6. Faifili Levave, 7. Jack Lam, 8. Victor Vito, 9. TJ Perenara, 10. Beauden Barrett, 11. Julian Savea, 12. Tim Bateman, 13. Conrad Smith (capt), 14. Alipate Leiua, 15. Andre Taylor. Replacements: 16. Motu Matu’u, 17. Reg Goodes, 18. James Broadhurst, 19. Brad Shields, 20. Chris Eaton, 21. Tusi Pisi, 22. Jayden Hayward. Rebels: 1. Nic Henderson, 2. Ged Robinson, 3. Jono Owen, 4. Cadeyrn Neville, 5. Hugh Pyle, 6. Luke Jones, 7. Tim Davidson, 8. Gareth Delve (capt), 9. Nick Phipps, 10. Kurtley Beale, 11. Cooper Vuna, 12. Lachlan Mitchell, 13. Mitch Inman, 14. Mark Gerrard, 15. Julian Huxley. Replacements: 16. Adam Freier, 17. Rodney Blake, 18. Alistair Campbell, 19. Tom Chamberlain, 20. Richard Kingi, 21. Stirling Mortlock, 22. James Hilgendorf. REFEREE: Jonathon White (NZ)]]>Paul NeazorRebels178190Mon, 28 May 2012 18:57:00 GMThttp://sportal.com.au/news-display/huxley-eyeing-overseas-triumph-178052Melbourne Rebels' Julian Huxley is confident his side can win their first Super Rugby match in New Zealand when they take on the Hurricanes this weekend.Jason TurnerRebels178052Mon, 28 May 2012 16:58:00 GMThttp://sportal.com.au/news-display/rebels-edge-force-by-a-point-177610A late penalty goal to Kurtley Beale has enabled the Melbourne Rebels to escape with a nail-biting 32-31 victory over the Western Force at NIB Stadium on Sunday.Western Force 31 Tries: Nalaga, McCalman, Mafi Conversions: Harvey 1/2, Seymour 1/1 Penalty goals: Seymour 2/2, Sheehan 1/1, Harvey 1/2 Melbourne Rebels 32 Tries: Neville 2, Delve, Vuna Conversions: Beale 3/4 Penalty goals: Beale 2/2]]>Scott BrooksRebels177610Mon, 28 May 2012 18:57:00 GMThttp://sportal.com.au/news-display/rebels-add-wallabies-big-man-177252The Melbourne Rebels are confident they have offset the losses of two key back-rowers after signing Wallabies flanker Scott Higginbotham from the Queensland Reds.SportalRebels177252Mon, 28 May 2012 16:12:00 GMThttp://sportal.com.au/news-display/preview-force-v-rebels-177054Although it starts as a battle between the two lowes-ranked Australian teams, this match could have an unusual ending if results fall a certain way - the Rebels could be ahead of the Waratahs on the standings by Sunday night.VENUE & TIME: nib Stadium, Perth, Sunday May 20, 4.35pm (AEST), 6.35pm (NZST) HEAD TO HEAD: Played 3; Force 1, Rebels 2 LAST TIME: March 23, 2012 (Melbourne, round 5) – Rebels 30-29 Force WALKING WOUNDED: Neither team reported any serious injuries after last week’s games, while the usual bumps and bruises were getting treated during the week. FORM: Force: Round 8: Lost to Waratahs 18-23 (h) Round 9: Bye Round 10: Lost to Stormers 3-17 (h) Round 11: Lost to Cheetahs 13-17 (a) Round 12: Lost to Sharks 11-53 (a) Rebels: Round 8: Lost to Brumbies 6-37 (a) Round 9: Lost to Waratahs 21-30 (a) Round 10: Bye Round 11: Lost to Bulls 35-41 (h) Round 12: Beat Crusaders 28-19 (h) The Force completed their South African section with a heavy defeat at Durban, where the Sharks piled up seven tries and only the third score of 50-plus by any team this year. After a number of solid efforts this one was disappointing, even allowing for the fact the home side played one of its best matches of the year. The Force have been solid against Australian teams this year - 13 of their 14 earned points have come against local teams - but will need to be a lot sharper if they are to break out of a five-game losing slump against a much-improved Rebels outfit. After turning in a good performance, even if it was ultimately in a losing cause, against the Bulls, the Rebels backed up with the team's best effort to date in Super Rugby and gained a convincing (and thoroughly deserved) win over the Crusaders. Apart from a 20-minute spell before half-time the Rebels were bossing the game, offering a much-improved defence to go with some clever, direct and forceful attacking play. There was much to admire in that display; as captain Gareth Delve pointed out after the game, the team has now established a benchmark for performance that it needs to maintain from here in. WHO'S HOT: It's always hard to go past David Pocock when discussing leading players in a Force match, but he'll have to be at his best and with others at his shoulder if the Rebels get going again. Pocock is the sort of player who can break a team's continuity apart, and he will be needed at peak efficiency this week. The front row will also have to muscle up, so veteran Pekahou Cowan has a job to do as the home side will look for a good platform. As he will be marking up against a backline that is just starting to find its legs, Winston Stanley has a big role to play in the centres. He has been one of the Force's best attackers recently and has long been known as a powerful and accurate tackler; the home crowd will want to see plenty of both skill sets on Sunday. While the Rebels' effort last week was a collective one, some individuals shone brighter than others. One of them was lock Hugh Pyle, who played a tremendous all-round game and was prominent in both tight and loose play. He did a lot of damage on either side of the ball but was particularly good when he had it in hand. Nick Phipps also played one of his best games, and his two tries were both well taken while his distribution from the scrum-base was first-rate. Stirling Mortlock couldn't wait to get onto the park and, once there, made telling contributions to both the decisive tries. His experience was important, and the old skills were still in evidence despite his long layoff. WE THINK: One fine performance (against the Bulls) might have been a flash in the pan but two in a row against teams that have won 10 of the 16 Super rugby titles says the Rebels have lifted a notch or several in recent weeks. It is too late for them to make a real playoff run - three games back with six to play is a bit tough - but the form of the last two rounds will be plenty good enough to account for the Force, whose season is limping towards the finish line. TEAMS: Force: TBA Rebels: TBA REFEREE: Marius Jonker (SA)]]>Paul NeazorRebels177054Mon, 28 May 2012 16:32:00 GMThttp://sportal.com.au/news-display/rebels-comeback-stuns-crusaders-176266Melbourne Rebels produced their finest ever Super Rugby performance to beat last year's competition runners-up, the Crusaders, 28-19 at AAMI Park on Saturday night.Doug BoothRebels176266Mon, 28 May 2012 16:36:00 GMThttp://sportal.com.au/news-display/preview-rebels-v-crusaders-175800The Rebels gave a gutsy effort against the Bulls and now have to do it again against another perennial challenger in the Crusaders who, will not be as charitable in their hunt for five points and a stronger grip on a playoff spot.VENUE & TIME: AAMI Park, Melbourne, Saturday May 12 @ 1940 AEST HEAD TO HEAD: No previous matches. LAST TIME: N/A. WALKING WOUNDED: The Rebels have to get by for the next two weeks without flanker Luke Jones, who was cited and suspended for a tip tackle against the Bulls. They have also lost utility back Richard Kingi to a hamstring strain for this week at least. Todd Blackadder has chosen to rest a number of players for this match, although one of them, Tom Donnelly, is bracketed in the reserves after hurting his back last week. If Donnelly does make it, there will be five All Blacks on the bench as Kieran Read, Andy Ellis and Israel Dagg have all been left out of the starting XV; Richie McCaw takes over the captaincy. FORM: Rebels: Round 7: beat Blues 34-23 (h) Round 8: lost to Brumbies 6-37 (a) Round 9: lost to Waratahs 21-30 (a) Round 10: bye Round 11: lost to Bulls 35-41 (h) Crusaders: Round 7: lost to Bulls 30-32 (a) Round 8: beat Stormers 31-24 (h) Round 9: beat Hurricanes 42-14 (a) Round 10: beat Waratahs 37-33 (a) Round 11: beat Reds 15-11 (h) The Rebels played an entertaining match against the Bulls last Friday, collecting two deserved points after an open game. They had four tries and 28 points on the board by halftime – both team records – but still trailed at the break. Although chasing the game for most of its duration, the Rebels showed they could hit back quickly after conceding points although it was hard to shake the feeling that the Bulls always had matters in hand and, when they started concentrating properly, this was borne out by the fact they proved almost impossible to break down over the closing stages. The Crusaders had to work hard against the Reds last week after conceding a try from the opening kickoff, and only concerted pressure and accurate goal-kicking let them get away with a 15-11 win. The team made an uncharacteristic number of mistakes against an aggressive Reds defence but countered by offering staunch defence of their own. Four straight wins in the last month, even if two have been a little ragged, still says the Crusaders are on track and it will take a strong side to beat them. Unless the visitors do not have their minds on the job, the Rebels do not appear strong enough to do the trick. WHO'S HOT: Kurtley Beale looked very sharp at fly-half last week and plenty of talk has started up as to whether this will be his Wallaby role in 2012. That doesn’t really matter for the Rebels, who are more than happy to build on his dangerous running and passing game while looking for sustained accuracy off the kicking tee. The Rebels are getting good service out of Rodney Blake at the moment, with the big bloke doing his share in the tight and proving effective around the park. Those same qualities are shared by Gareth Delve, who has turned in a very good season both as a captain and as a non-stop loose forward. With the first All Black team due to be named in less than a month, the form of lock Luke Romano is sure to be under scrutiny in the coming weeks. A big man who does his tight work well, he is also impressing with a busy and powerful all-round game and has turned in a strong season so far. Richie McCaw makes his first start after a couple of cameos and while it would be expecting too much for him to hit top gear immediately, his ability to work the breakdowns will be watched with interest. Tom Taylor may not be in the test reckoning just yet, but he has impressed everyone with his calm play at first-five and a deadly accurate boot off the tee; twice in the last month he has scored all the Crusaders points in narrow wins and deserves his place at first-five even with Carter available. WE THINK: Unless they make a real hash of it, the Crusaders should be too strong in this one. The forwards have fired up nicely in recent weeks and have dominated some strong teams in that time, while the backline is starting to look likely. The Rebels fashioned several good tries against the Bulls, but they won’t get the same midfield leeway this week and may struggle to hold the visitors within 10-15 points. TEAMS: Rebels: 1. Nic Henderson, 2. Ged Robinson, 3. Rodney Blake, 4. Cadeyrn Neville, 5. Hugh Pyle, 6. Tim Davidson, 7. Michael Lipman, 8. Gareth Delve (capt), 9. Nick Phipps, 10. Kurtley Beale, 11. Cooper Vuna, 12. Lachlan Mitchell, 13. Mitch Inman, 14. Mark Gerrard, 15. Julian Huxley. Replacements: 16. Adam Freier, 17. Jono Owen, 18. Alistair Campbell, 19. Ryan Hodson, 20. Nic Stirzaker, 21. James Hilgendorf, 22. Stirling Mortlock. Crusaders: 1. Wyatt Crockett, 2. Corey Flynn, 3. Owen Franks, 4. Luke Romano, 5. Sam Whitelock, 6. George Whitelock, 7. Richie McCaw (capt), 8. Luke Whitelock, 9. Willi Heinz, 10. Tom Taylor, 11. Zac Guildford, 12. Daniel Carter, 13. Robbie Fruean, 14. Sean Maitland, 15. Tom Marshall. Replacements: 16. Ben Funnell, 17. Ben Franks, 18. Tom Donnelly or Ross Kennedy, 19. Kieran Read, 20. Andy Ellis, 21. Ryan Crotty, 22. Israel Dagg. REFEREE: Jaco Peyper (SA)]]>Paul NeazorRebels175800Mon, 28 May 2012 12:17:00 GMThttp://sportal.com.au/news-display/beale-backed-for-wallabies-174965Melbourne Rebels coach Damien Hill believes Kurtley Beale should get first crack at the vacant No.10 jersey for the Wallabies in the upcoming Test matches in June.Jonathan HealyRebels174965Sat, 26 May 2012 19:16:00 GMThttp://sportal.com.au/news-display/bulls-deny-brave-rebels-174874The Bulls have moved to the top of the Super Rugby table with a hard-fought 41-35 victory over a determined Rebels outfit in an entertaining contest at AAMI Park in Melbourne on Friday night.Rebels: 35 Tries: Vuna 2, Blake, Phipps, Delve Conv: Beale 5 Bulls: 41 Tries: Ndungane, Basson, Steyn, Stander, Engelbrecht Pens: Steyn 2 Conv: Steyn 5 Crowd: 12,112]]>Jonathan HealyRebels174874Mon, 28 May 2012 18:57:00 GMThttp://sportal.com.au/news-display/cipriani-denies-exit-conspiracy-174837Danny Cipriani bade an emotional farewell to the Melbourne Rebels this week and insisted the decision to leave was mutual.Sacha PisaniRebels174837Sun, 27 May 2012 11:53:00 GMThttp://sportal.com.au/news-display/mortlock-excited-for-return-174644Melbourne Rebels captain Stirling Mortlock can't wait to make his first appearance of the Super Rugby season on Friday night.James WilloughbyRebels174644Sun, 27 May 2012 17:01:00 GMThttp://sportal.com.au/news-display/preview-rebels-v-bulls-174662If this was a boxing match the governing body wouldn't sanction the fight.VENUE & TIME: AAMI Park, Melbourne, Friday May 4, 7.40pm (AEST). HEAD TO HEAD: Played 1 – Bulls 1, Rebels 0. LAST TIME: May 14, 2011 (Pretoria) – Bulls 47-10 Rebels (Round 13) WALKING WOUNDED: Controversial Rebels flyhalf Danny Cipriani was granted an early release from his contract on Tuesday, ending his colourful 18-month stint in Super Rugby. His departure should see Kurtley Beale take over the No.10 jersey, with James O'Connor sidelined with a lacerated liver suffered against the Waratahs. Skipper Stirling Mortlock is on target to play his first game of the season after overcoming a calf injury, while back-rower Jarrod Saffy will miss the rest of the season with neck nerve damage. Bulls lock Flip van der Merwe returns from a groin injury, forcing Wilhelm Steenkamp to the bench. Prop Dean Greyling also returns from injury at starting loosehead, while hooker Willie Wepener (facial injury) will start his comeback on the bench. FORM: Rebels: Week 6: Loss, 43-12 v Highlanders, Invercargill Week 7: Win, 34-23 v Blues, Melbourne Week 8: Loss, 37-6 v Brumbies, Canberra Week 9: Loss, 30-21 v Waratahs, Sydney Week 10: Bye Bulls: Week 6: Loss, 20-17 v Stormers, Cape Town Week 7: Win, 32-30 v Crusaders, Pretoria Week 8: Win, 32-18 v Lions, Johannesburg Week 9: Win, 36-34 v Brumbies, Pretoria Week 10: Bye The Rebels were competitive against the Waratahs before the bye but were never really in the hunt after conceding the opening try inside the first minute. They showed their fighting spirit with two late tries to keep the 'Tahs honest, but it was too little too late. Last year's wooden spooners are currently lying fourth on the Australian Conference ladder and 12th overall. The Bulls are riding a three game winning streak but were lucky to scrape past the Brumbies in Pretoria a fortnight ago. The Brumbies scored five-tries-to-two and were the better team for long periods, but Morne Steyn saved the hosts with seven penalties, a drop goal and a conversion to kick the hosts to victory. The Bulls are running second in the South African Conference and fourth overall. WHO'S HOT: Rebels recruit Kurtley Beale performed well against his old side the Waratahs in Sydney. He started the game at full-back but it was when he was forced to move into fly-half in the second half that he showed his class. Bulls sharp shooter Morne Steyn was the difference against the Brumbies, notching a 26-point haul to rob the Brumbies of a deserved win. WE THINK: If this was a boxing match the governing body wouldn't sanction the fight. The Bulls are among the form teams in the competition and should make light work of a Rebels side missing marquee man James O'Connor. The Rebels have been decent at home this season but they're out of their depth this week. Bulls by 18. TEAMS: Rebels TBC Bulls 15. Zane Kirchner, 14. Akona Ndungane, 13. JJ Engelbrecht, 12. Wynand Olivier, 11. Bjorn Basson, 10. Morne Steyn, 9. Francois Hougaard, 8. Pierre Spies, 7. Jacques Potgieter, 6. CJ Stander, 5. Juandre Kruger, 4. Flip van der Merwe, 3. Werner Kruger , 2. Chiliboy Ralepelle, 1., Dean Greyling. Reserves: 16. Willie Wepener, 17. Frik Kirsten, 18. Wilhelm Steenkamp, 19. Arno Botha, 20. Jano Vermaak, 21. Louis Fouche, 22. Johann Sadie REFEREE: Andrew Lees]]>Steve OrmeRebels174662Sun, 27 May 2012 22:11:00 GMT