Maturity helped Rebels defeat Bulls
The Rebels relied on their growing maturity to overcome a desperate Bulls side in their Super Rugby outing in Melbourne at the weekend.
Rebels tighthead prop Paul Alo-Emile's 50th had plenty to celebrate in his game for the franchise, as the men from Melbourne held out to defeat the Bulls for the first time – 21-20.
The victory was earned on the back of a tireless defensive effort and the ability to retain composure as the game reached the closing stages.
Coach Tony McGahan, speaking after the game, paid tribute to his side's growing maturity – as the Rebels secured a fourth consecutive home win for the first time.
"I am proud of the side for earning a very tough victory here, especially on return from three weeks away from home," McGahan said.
"I thought we defended well, and particular credit needs to go to our forward pack.
"They put in a huge amount of work, with six of them playing the full 80 minutes, and now it's about the whole squad working hard to finish off the season strongly against the Western Force next week."
The final Rebels' game of the 2015 Super Rugby competition sees the Western Force visit Melbourne on Friday.
Young guns Jack Debreczeni, Sean McMahon and Lopeti Timani all found the tryline in a game which saw the Rebels hit the front for the first time on the hour mark, with the Bulls unable to score more than a penalty in the second half.
