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Rebels take risks for do-or-die clash with Reds

(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

The Melbourne Rebels will roll the dice against the Queensland Reds by naming two openside flankers in Richard Hardwick and Brad Wilkin in their back row for their Super Rugby AU qualifying final on Saturday night.

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The Reds have their tails up after trouncing the Brumbies, who are already into next week’s grand final, while they are hoping to have up to 20,000 fans on their side at Suncorp Stadium.

Rebels coach Dave Wessels says his team, playing in their first ever final, feel like they have nothing to lose.

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Brumbies utility back Mack Hansen and hooker Folau Fainga’a interview – bye week

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      Brumbies utility back Mack Hansen and hooker Folau Fainga’a interview – bye week

      They see the Queensland back row of Wallabies-in-waiting Fraser McReight and Harry Wilson, and skipper Liam Wright, who made his Test debut last year, as a major attacking threat.

      “We think the Reds back row is a primary threat so we’ve elected to play two sevens there,” Wessels said on Thursday.

      “Some of the stuff they’ve done around the breakdown gives them a lot of energy and Fraser McReight has made a big difference.

      “We’ve picked two sevens to put some pressure on the ball ourselves with Brad Wilkin playing really well and Dickie (Richard) Hardwick probably had the best game I’d seen him play last week so it’s hard not to pick those guys.”

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      Wessels said he had some concerns about the Reds’ breakdown, that that had “flagged to the referee”.

      “There’s some stuff around the breakdown that we want them to keep an eye on,” he said.

      It will be Melbourne’s first finals appearance after 10 years in the competition and comes after they’ve spent the entire season interstate with Victoria in lockdown.

      In other selection changes, Andrew Kellaway has returned on the wing while Frank Lomani will start at halfback with James Tuttle ruled out with a hamstring injury.

      Rampaging prop Pone Fa’amausili has again been left out as he recovers from a hamstring strain.

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      Rebels: Dane Haylett-Petty, Andrew Kellaway, Reece Hodge, Bill Meakes, Marika Koroibete, Matt Toomua (c), Frank Lomani , Isi Naisarani, Richard Hardwick, Brad Wilkin, Trevor Hosea, Matt Philip, Jermaine Ainsley, Jordan Uelese, Cameron Orr. Reserves: Efi Ma’afu, Matt Gibbon, Cabous Eloff, Michael Stolberg, Rob Leota, Theo Strang, Andrew Deegan, Campbell Magnay.

      Melissa Woods

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      H
      Head high tackle 1 hour ago
      Can Samoa and Tonga ever become contenders when their top talent is skimmed?

      I think you have gone in the wrong direction here Nick. I think you need to delve down into the rules etc around Moana Pacifica’s selection policies and then you need to understand that a lot of KIWI BORN rugby players have PI heritage. It appears ok for the 4 home nations to pillage NZ born players constantly without retribution but you want to question whether NZ BORN players should be eligible for NZ? Seems a real agenda in there.

      Go back and look at the actual Aims and agenda for MP becoming a entity and you see lots of things enshrined in policy that you arnt mentioning here. EG there is an allowance for a percentage of MP to be NZ eligible. This was done so MP could actually become competitive. Lets be real. If it wasnt this way then MP would not be competitive.

      There also seems to be some sort of claim ( mainly from the NH ) that NZ is “cashing in” on MP, which , quite frankly is a major error. Are you aware of how much MP costs NZR Financially?

      39 NZ born rugby players played at the last world cup for Samoa or Tonga. PLUS plenty for Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales.

      Taumoefolau is a BORN AND BRED NZer. However I very strongly doubt he will be an AB, but who do you believe he should be allowed to play for? Levi Aumua is ALSO a born and bred Kiwi.

      Aumua was eligible to represent Samoa and Fiji for the Pacific Nations Cup in July that year but ended up playing for neither. He IS eligible for his nation of Birth too Nick

      He is a Kiwi. Are you saying an NZ born, raised Kiwi cant play for NZ now?

      Sorry Nick Kiwi born and bred actually qualify for NZ.

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