No half measures for Rebels
Melbourne Rebels flyhalf Bryce Hegarty said his team need to start putting in 80-minute performances if they are to compete with the top Super Rugby sides.
The Rebels slumped to a 25-19 defeat to the Crusaders in front of their home fans on Friday, leaving them wondering what might have been.
Their only try came in the dying stages of the match, once the Crusaders had already secured victory, and Hegarty admitted that it had been a frustrating outing.
"We have to be an 80 minute team," he told AAP.
"We can't put in those 50 minute performances or half game performances any more, it's not acceptable and that's something we have to strive to build on this year."
The Crusaders enjoyed the ascendency in both the scrum and breakdown, which made life even more difficult for the home side, and Hegarty admitted that they need to work on their discipline.
"Discipline was a big problem; that breakdown area we got shot to pieces in penalties and that's something we can't afford to do," Hegarty said.
"It's something that is controllable and fortunately we lacked a lot of discipline and the scoreboard showed that in the end."
The Rebels did well to restrict the Crusaders to just one try, but lacked spark in attack – a problem that plagued them against the Force last week.
"The Crusaders didn't give us an inch; we created some opportunity in attack but that execution and those last couple of passes weren't there for us so that's something we have to build on for the Waratahs because we can't accept that mediocrity.
"We can't wait for next week to turn things around," said Hegarty.
Fullback Jason Woodward will undergo scans on his knee while prop Laurie Weeks will also have a scan after being forced off the field late in the first half with a head knock.
