The Rebels took a big win over the Sunwolves on Saturday afternoon.
What are talking about after the 52-7 win?
1.Rebels win a big step for Australian rugby
The Rebels are still one point shy of Australian conference leaders the Brumbies despite their big win over the Sunwolves but the victory means they might not need to rely on the conference lead for a finals berth.
Yes, a home quarter-final is a big advantage - especially for a team with a road record like the Rebels - but a maiden finals berth is still well and truly in their reach.
After that game, the Rebels sit in seventh in the top eight, with a host of teams still to play.
That spot on the overall log would be enough for them to secure a finals wildcard as the second Australian team in the finals - a feat the Aussies haven’t achieved since 2015.
Since that season, the Brumbies have twice been the only Australian representatives in the knock-out rounds with the Waratahs taking that honour in 2018 after the Rebels fell just short.
2. Speed the key for Rebels
After a grinding start in Tokyo, the Rebels turned up the pace and never really looked back in their way to a club record Super Rugby score.
Quick recycles and rapid offloads opened up the opportunities for three tries in the opening half an hour and it was a pace the Sunwolves simply couldn’t match.
When the Rebels are firing, unrelenting pace and intensity is their trademark and that’s exactly what they showed in attack on Saturday.
They were able to open up space with their quick-fire attack and that helped them hang on to the momentum for much of the afternoon.
It wasn't just their attack where they fired in Tokyo but with almost every chance they had, they found a score, and they never gave the Sunwolves much time to respond.
3. Genia under cloud after head knock
The only negative from that victory for the Rebels will be an injury to star halfback Will Genia just after half-time.
Genia threw himself into a tackle on Amanaki Mafi and though he made it through that attempt relatively unscathed, he landed on the ground.
It was when he was on the turf that he was cleaned up accidentally by Sunwolves inside centre Phil Burleigh, who was trailing Mafi.
Burleigh’s shin connected with Genia’s face on his way through, leaving the scrumhalf groggy.
It initially seemed incredibly serious, with the game immediately stopped, but Genia ultimately walked off the field unassisted.
General concussion protocols take a six-day recovery timeline and with the Rebels hosting the Waratahs next Friday night, he will be cutting it fine to be fit for that derby.
Michael Ruru has proven a capable replacement for Genia in the past and he was solid on Saturday afternoon.
With his value to the Rebels and Wallabies, it seems unlikely there’ll be any undue risks taken on the nation’s best no. 9 either.
4. Mafi’s still got it
Amanaki Mafi used to wreak havoc for the Rebels. On Saturday, he wreaked havoc against them.
Mafi was by far the best player for the Sunwolves in defeat, impressive in both defence and attack.
He finished with nine carries for 99 run metres, beating four defenders along the way and notching a clean break as well.
On the other side of the ball, the powerful no. 8 had two turnovers for the day.
He might be a controversial figure off the field but it seems more and more likely that he will be in Japan’s Rugby World Cup squad when it is named in a fortnight’s time.
The no. 8 has few peers when it comes to damaging running and he has shown he has the ability to stand up even when his team is not going well
5. Lineout the weapon of destruction for the Rebels
The Rebels’ main source of punishment came from the set piece on Saturday in a text book display from their forwards,
Melbourne picked off a number of Sunwolves lineouts throughout the afternoon and were impenetrable on their own for much of the day as well.
Set piece has been a platform for the Rebels all season and that was a trend that certainly continued against the Sunwolves.
A solid outing from hooker Jordan Uelese would be a positive sign for the Melbourne side and the Wallabies as well.
Uelese came on in the 56th minute and though he had one wonky lineout throw, the 22-year-old was strong in the scrum and finished off a driving maul try to ice the game.
