Melbourne Rebels in enemy sights

Dave Donaghy, Herald Sun
August 14, 2007 12:00am

MELBOURNE Rebels coach Bill Millard has told his players to put a lid on celebrations, with expectations set to rise after their win in the Australian Rugby Championship's inaugural round at the weekend.

Millard said last night the Rebels, who face the East Coast Aces at Olympic Park on Saturday night, would no longer be able to fly under the radar after their upset 32-27 win against Canberra Vikings.

Fresh from their surprise win against the Super 14-stacked Vikings, the Rebels, with captain David Croft leading the way, face an Aces squad containing Queensland Reds stars Chris Latham, Andrew Walker, Rodney Blake and Quade Cooper.

It will be Latham's final ARC game for the Gold Coast-based club before he focuses on the Wallabies' World Cup campaign next month. The Aces beat Ballymore Tornadoes 27-21 at the weekend.

Millard, a former Australian sevens coach, said "heart and spirit" was no longer enough for the Rebels.

"I was really proud of the way they won, but also of the way they kept a lid on it," he said. "It was a very quiet, subdued night in Canberra.

"That was just the start for us. Every other team is now going to be up for us. We were very much under the radar for that first game, and I think the Vikings went into it thinking they were just going to beat us with their structure (from the ACT Brumbies).

"They knew we were going to go hard, but I don't think they thought we were going to go that hard.

"So every other team is going to be on to us and we've got to get more accurate (in the lineout) and more technically correct.

"Heart and spirit alone won't win us enough games."

Millard said Croft was still sporting the scars of the battle at the breakdown, with the former Test star creating a host of attacking opportunities for Melbourne with seven turnovers.