Melbourne Rebels chasing new trophy in Japan
By James Wong
The Melbourne Rebels will make history on Saturday afternoon in Tokyo when they become the first Australian Super Rugby side to face Japan’s Sunwolves.
Up for grabs will be the newly introduced Ganbatte Trophy which will be contested each time the teams play. Ganbatte is a Japanese phrase that means ‘do your best.’
Facing yet another long away trip the Rebels will not treat Saturday’s game any differently.
“For us because we've been on the road three of the four weeks it's just like another away game,” said Rebels coach Tony McGahan.
“We need to make sure that we turn up and do not get distracted by the lights et cetera and we just get stuck in and get the job done."
The Sunwolves are still seeking their first win after giving up an 18 point lead in the second half against the Cheetahs in Singapore last week.
The Japanese side scored 31 points against the Cheetahs, including a first half hat-trick to winger Akihito Yamada. The Rebels coaching staff ha