Rebels vice-captain Michael Wells believes their new-look coaching staff will help them make major improvements as they prepare for this week's first trial against the Waratahs.
The club formerly appointed Kevin Foote as coach in June after he took over in an interim role following the departure of Dave Wessels.
He has built an impressive staff around him, with former Reds and Kintetsu coach Nick Stiles returning to Australia as Director of Rugby.
This coupled with the acquisition of exciting attacking coach Ryan Martin has Wells feeling confident as they close out a 12-week pre-season block before the Christmas break.
“The coaching staff really brings a cohesiveness together, they’re a really strong coaching group,” he told Rugby.com.au.
“Ryan (Martin) has brought a new dimension into our attack, his perspective on what and how to do is quite innovative and he’s really hard on the detail so we spent the first block of the pre-season working on those skills and then building into those structures and putting it all together. We’ve really progressed through pre-season with that order and detail which has been good.
“(Nick) Stilesy has come in as GM of Rugby but he’s also helping out the scrum so having him there working with the tight five has been really good.
“Footy (Kevin Foote) as head coach, he had the time at the back of Trans Tasman last year so I think the 12 weeks of pre-season he’s had this year, (it) really helps him put his footprint on the team and how he wants the identity of the team to look. He’s been in charge of defence which is something we’re going to pride ourselves on along with Geoff Parling running the forwards.
“All of them have worked really well together so hopefully we’re able to put strong performances together and show that.”
Wells notes their incredible attention to detail and focus on 'one percentages' as the keys towards ensuring they can push for a return to finals football in 2022.
“I think the level and attention to detail by the coaches and willingness from players to pick it up is something we haven’t done in the past couple of years,” he believes.
“It’s about really ingraining key detail and small finite skills everyone’s been really pushing hard on that will go unnoticed by fans and supporters or anyone watching but stuff that’ll make a real difference, focusing on those one-percenters that’ll really help in the game.”
They will get a chance to show their development with a rare December trial against the Waratahs, set to be played on Thursday December 16 behind closed doors.
This will be followed by a clash against the Fijian Drua on February 10 at Harlequins Rugby Club, nine days before their opener against the Force in Perth.
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With plenty of positions still up for grabs, Wells believes the earlier than usual trial is a perfect time for the younger players to show their full potential.
“It goes towards the belief of what you’re doing,” he suggests. “Having a game there, you don’t have to wait until February to know if what you are doing is right or needs fine-tuning. It gives you that perspective early.
“It also gives guys who are training out for spots and really competing to fill out our roster to get an opportunity for next year’s Super Rugby, it really gives them a chance to show it out on the field. Training can only indicate so much, being able to play shows the full spectrum of your skills.
“That should really allow us to pick the right guys to stay around for next year because obviously, 12 weeks of training is hard for anyone (but) being able to put it on show for those guys is the most justice we can do for them.”
