Rebels fail to send coach out on high
Jul 14, 2017 - 5:32 PM Departing coach Tony McGahan says he'll leave it to others to mark his time at the Melbourne Rebels but his skipper Nic Stirzaker is certain of his positive influence.The Rebels weren't able to send their coach out on a winning note, falling 32-29 to the Jaguares in their final round Super Rugby match at AAMI Park, fading after a bright first half.
Despite this year's all-time low return of just one win with the club decimated by injuries McGahan leaves as the team's most successful coach.
He has also has to cope with the ongoing spectre of the axe hanging over the franchise's Super Rugby future.
McGahan coached the Rebels to four wins in his first season, 2014, before winning seven games in each of the 2015 and 2016 seasons.
"We had great confidence in what the squad could do we just needed them all on the pitch at once and also to get them to train together and it would have been nice to have that but it wasn't to be," said McGahan, who reportedly will join the Reds to support coach Nick Stiles.
"That's certainly not an excuse for some of our efforts during the year."
McGahan said he couldn't comment on whether the side was now in better shape - although he can take credit for producing Wallabies such as Sean McMahon, Reece Hodge, Tony Smith and Sefa Naivalu.
"That's not for me to judge," he said before his captain interrupted with, "Definitely is".
Stirzaker continued: "We've had a tough year but in the context of the last four years what the club's been able to do with Tony at the helm has been immense and the players we've been able to bring through."
Stirzaker said his teammates didn't go into the match contemplating that that may have been their last ever in the Rebels tri-colours.
"I'd be surprised if that was the case (the last time) and we hadn't really talked about it too much.
"This week was more about Mitch Inman's 100th game and other guys leaving the club and an end of an era for Tony.
"That was the thinking, it wasn't about the future - we're sick to to death of that stuff to be honest."
Source: AAP
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