Haylett-Petty, Uelese in contention for long-awaited Rebels returns

Tue, Apr 30, 2019, 5:29 AM
AAP
by AAP
Reece Hodge says he's happy to be put in any position whether it be for the Melbourne Rebels or the Wallabies. Meanwhile, skipper Dane Haylett-Petty and Jordan Uelese are on track to return for Saturday's game against the Hurricanes.

The Melbourne Rebels could be back to full strength to face the Hurricanes with skipper Dane Haylett-Petty and his Wallabies teammate Jordan Uelese in contention for Super Rugby selection.

Fullback Haylett-Petty hasn't played since suffering a toe injury in round five in March while hooker Uelese has been sidelined for almost a year following knee surgery.

The pair were back to full training in Melbourne on Monday with the Rebels travelling to Wellington for Saturday's match after a much-needed bye.

Teammate Reece Hodge said the time away had freshened his team, who were stinging after another second-half collapse against the Waratahs.

The Rebels have more work to do. Photo: Getty Images"Monday isn't usually our massive session but the boys were raring to go and there was a fair bit of intensity at training and a lot of competition which was good to see," Hodge said on Tuesday.

"We hate losing to the Waratahs so we don't need any extra motivation going into this weekend.

"We've now lost two on the trot so we're looking to get some momentum back into our season."

The return of Haylett-Petty, who is among the favourites to take over the Test fullback jersey from Israel Folau, likely signals another shift for Hodge but the Wallabies utility said he would be ready to play where required in the Rebels backline.

Uelese, 22, is set to start from the bench behind Anaru Rangi but Hodge said the young bull looked in great shape.

 


"Obviously you get 12 months to lift in the gym, do running and work on your skills so when you come out of rehab you should be in better shape than when you train with the rest of the boys," Hodge said.

"He has seamlessly fit into training - grabbed a couple of pilfers straight away and was really good in the defensive line so to see him out there is awesome."

While the second-placed Hurricanes will test their defence, the Rebels are looking to improve their attack, which has been below par.

"Our attack has been lacking over the past couple of weeks," Hodge said.

"The Stormers shut us out and then against the Tahs we didn't score in the second half so there's been a focus on that."

The Rebels take on the Hurricanes on Saturday May 4 at Westpac Stadium, Wellington, kicking off at 5:15pm local, 3:15pm AEST, LIVE on FOX SPORTS, Kayo and via RUGBY.com.au RADIO.

Share
SRW FINAL TEAM LIST: NSW Waratahs Women vs Fijiana Drua Women
Super Rugby Pacific 2024 Teams: All the team news for Round Ten
Williams returns for Force trip to face Highlanders
The Rebels head to Christchurch to take on the Crusaders