Melbourne Rebels head coach Rod Macqueen has asked for more of his side after they were humbled in the third round of the Super Rugby competition by the Chiefs.
The newly formed franchise suffered a 28 point defeat after narrowly beating the Brumbies in round two, and suffered a humiliating start to the competition, conceding 7 tries and scoring no points as they lost 43-0 against the New South Wales Waratahs.
Now Macqueen wants more aggression from his side as they look to overcome the Sharks on Friday.
It’s going to be a very aggressive team that we’re going to be playing against,” said Macqueen.
“They would probably be number one as far as aggression is concerned. So we’re going to see a very physical game, but it’s our job to match them out there. Hopefully from a spectators point of view they’ll see a very physical match.” He added.
His side will have to perform to the best of their abilities if they are to beat the Sharks. The South African side are unbeaten after three games so far and Macqeen admits the game will be difficult for his side.
The Sharks are a team that’s extremely well coached.” He commented.
They’ve got very good set piece, they work on the basics and they do the basics very well. They’re probably one of the more feared teams in Super Rugby.”
The Rebels will have to be particularly wary of the Sharks pack, which has been identified as one of the most dangerous in the competition. The Australian outfit currently lie 13th in the overall rankings, while the Sharks top the table. English fly-half Danny Cipriani is expected to start for the rebels as he continues his quest to make his way to the rugby world cup with his home country.