The Melbourne Rebels are confident they can turn around their season as they prepare for the undefeated Brumbies.
After a strong start where they raced out to a 14-0 lead, the Rebels were shocked by the Fijian Drua 31-26 on the Sunshine Coast.
It leaves the Victorian-based side as the lone Australian team yet to record a win, having struggled with injuries and suspension.
Despite this, scrumhalf Joe Powell was confident they could turn their season around, pointing to a lack of execution and experience.
"We were happy with how we started the game - we had sort of plenty of opportunities there to put points on Fiji," the 27-year-old said.
"It would have been a very different game, if we were, say 20 points up. They scrapped out really well, defended really well and then it turned into a completely different game.
"We lost a bit of momentum and weren't sure how to get it back.
"We know it'll come so it's about backing ourselves - the efforts there so it's about putting a really good performance together on the field which will come, we've just got to believe that."
Whilst the Brumbies enter as strong favourites, they are refusing to take the Victorians lightly, well aware of what happens if they do.
On both occasions in 2021, the Rebels pushed them to the limit, with the Brumbies needing a penalty after the siren to defeat them at GIO Stadium.
"The Rebels are going to present different threats to us and we’ve got to review our own game thoroughly, how we can manipulate them because they're going to come out firing after their last game,” flyhalf Noah Lolesio said.
“We can't get complacent, we have to keep improving day by day.
"…We’ve probably been our own worst enemies ... one pass or one opportunity from pinning teams.
"We need to work on ourselves more and give more respect to other teams so we don't let them off the hook easily.”
