NEWCASTLE has proved somewhat of a graveyard for NSW, with the Waratahs losing both Super Rugby battles at McDonald Jones Stadium in the past two years..
Now their 2020 Super Rugby Australia finals' hopes could suffer a fatal blow at the same venue without the Tahs setting foot in the region.
The Melbourne Rebels take on the Western Force at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday afternoon and have a golden chance to secure the club's first foray into the final.
NSW currently sit in third spot on 19 points, four points clear of the Rebels, but the Tahs have the bye in the final round, for which no points are given.
The equation is simple for the Victorians - beat the Force by more than four points to leapfrog the Tahs and earn the right to take on the Queensland Reds (21 points) in the qualifying final.
The Brumbies (28 points) are guaranteed the minor premiership and a place in the September 19 final at GIO Stadium in Canberra.
With their season on the line, the Waratahs overpowered Melbourne 38-32 last round, but Matt To'omua's 77th minute pressure-cooker penalty put the Rebels within the seven-point buffer to secure a precious bonus point.
To'omua is one of three Wallabies, alongside fullback Reece Hodge and powerhouse winger and rugby league convert Marika Koroibete, in the Rebels backline. Power-packed hooker Jordan Uelese, No.8 Isi Naisarani and lock Matt Philip complete the Wallabies contingent. Halfback Frank Lomani is the Fiji Test half.
The Rebels have fallen at the last hurdle in the finals race for the past two years.
In 2018, the Sharks accounted for the Jaguares 20-10 in Durban to jump above the Rebels.
Last year, their finals aspirations ended in embarrassment as the Chiefs annihilated the home side 59-8 at AAMI Park.
On Saturday, they will face a Force outfit low on form but high on motivation.
The Force, recalled to Super Rugby Australia after a two-year absence, are yet to win a game and have collected just two bonus points.
One of those points was from a rugged 25-20 loss to the Rebels at Leichhardt Oval on July 31.
When the Force were booted from Super Rugby at the end of the 2017 season, the Rebels scooped up many of the side's best players, and their head coach David Wessels.
Wessels is still in charge and NSW coach Rob Penney said the South African admitted to him on Saturday that the Force "hate the Rebels".
"They'll (Force) be getting all our best wishes and [if] there's some good bottles of Hunter Valley wine that they need we're more than happy to send that up to them," Penney said. "When we played them in the first round we came off - we were having a discussion with the management group - and we said 'gee they've got a win in them, they've definitely got a win in them'."
The match is officially a Rebels home game, but of the combatants, the Force have a greater affinity with the Hunter.
The West Australians played a Newcastle inivitational side in a game of Global Rapid Rugby in February, before their late call-up to Super Rugby Australia.
They then spent three weeks based at the Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley and trained at St Philip's Christian College, Cessnock, in the lead-up to the competition.
Coach Tim Sampson has formed a relationship with Hunter Wildfires coach Scott Coleman and had offered the use of some fringe players for the Shute Shield campaign, only for COVID-19 bubble restrictions to knock the arrangement on the head.
The match is only the third game of Super Rugby to be played in Newcastle and replaces the Test between Australia and Argentina which was to be played on Saturday.
A crowd of 7491 braved wet and windy condition to watch the Waratahs surrender 43-25 to the Blues in February. That followed a surprise 31-29 loss for the Tahs to the Sunwolves in front of 12,621 faithful in 2019.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions capacity on Saturday will be 4400. Tickets cost $25 for an adult and $10 for children under 17.
"We are opening the lower seating bowl at a reduced capacity," McDonald Jones stadium manager Dean Mantle said. "It would be great to see some support around the rugby. The rugby community want to see more rugby here and we want to bring it."
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