The toll of cumulative errors rather than fitness concerns are behind the Melbourne Rebels' spectacular second half Super Rugby collapses, according to their coach Dave Wessels.
The Rebels head to Canberra to take on the Brumbies on Saturday night with both sides desperate to find some winning form.
To do that Melbourne need to arrest what has becoming a worrying theme in many of their losses this season - leading at halftime or at least in the match, only to fall to a heavy defeat.
Last round against the ladder-leading Crusaders they trailed 13-10 only to bomb 55-10.
Against the Crusaders, Waratahs, Hurricanes and Jaguares they conceded a combined 130 second half points compared to just 51 in the first half.
Wessels said data confirmed that the players had no issue with fitness, which he set about improving as a big pre-season focus.
"If you look at our GPS data we actually go better in some second halves than first even though the score moves away from us," Wessels said on Thursday.
The coach believed that his team was paying the price at the back-end for having to work so hard for their points and to contain the opposition, in the opening stanza.
"I think it's missing bits of cumulative detail," Wessels said.
"Over a period of say 60 minutes, the work-rate that you have to put in because you've given the ball away cheaply and then you end up defending for five minutes you shouldn't have defended for, that starts to add up."
Melbourne will be without Dane Haylett-Petty for the Brumbies game, with the fullback joining fellow injured Wallaby Will Genia on the sidelines.
Haylett-Petty has been troubled this season by concussion but has been ruled out with a neck injury although is only expected to miss this game.
"He's probably at 90 per cent and it would be nice to have him but he's such an important player for us and the Wallabies we won't risk him," Wessels said.
Despite the Crusaders scoreline, the Rebels have made minimal changes, with Tom English joining Reece Hodge in the centres.
Victorian speedster Semisi Tupou, who this week was named in the Wallabies under-20 side, will start in his first Super Rugby game of the season, and only his second ever, replacing Test winger Sefa Naivalu.
"He's got great feet and he's very fast and one of the reasons we picked him for this game is his work rate," Wessels said.
"He's incredibly fit and that's the type of intensity I think we're going to need to be successful in Canberra."
Rebels: Jack Maddocks, Semisi Tupou, Reece Hodge, Tom English, Marika Koroibete, Jack Debreczeni, Michael Ruru, Amanaki Mafi, Colby Fainga'a, Angus Cottrell, Adam Coleman (capt), Geoff Parling, Sam Talakai, Anaru Rangi, Fereti Sa'aga. Res: Nathan Charles, Tetera Faulkner, Jermaine Ainsley, Matt Philip, Lopeti Timani, Harrison Goddard, Billy Meakes.
