Melbourne Rebels players are hoping their break-through Super Rugby win over the Stormers helps coach Damien Hill keep his job.
The Rebels edged the highly-rated Stormers 30-21 at AAMI Park, which was their first ever win over a South African opponent.
They hit the front with six minutes remaining through a controversial penalty try.
It was awarded after Stormers hooker Martin Bezuidenhout pulled back Rebels halfback Nick Phipps as they raced to the line, but the win was still well deserved.
It came after four successive tight losses, which could have given Melbourne’s tally of three wins for the season a huge boost if they came off.
Rebels veteran prop Nic Henderson, himself undecided about his playing future, said the players were behind Hill, who has been asked to reapply for his position.
“I hope so,” Henderson said when asked if the performance would help.
“That’s what we’ve been trying to do the last weeks.
“Everything Hilly does is for the betterment of the team.
“Unfortunately we haven’t given him the results he deserves the last couple of weeks so it’s a credit to him and the other coaching staff the way that they’ve handled the team through those narrow losses.”
Hill has been in the position for two seasons, and his tenure hasn’t been made any easier this season by Wallaby Kurtley Beale being injured and then suspended – keeping him off the field since round three.
The win over the Stormers also came without fellow Test star James O’Connor, who is out injured – halves pairing Nic Stirzaker and Bryce Hegarty both made their run-on debut.
Rebels skipper Scott Higginbotham is part of the committee set up to assess the coaching position, which also includes interim chief executive Rob Clarke, the club’s foundation coach and World Cup-winning Wallabies coach Rod Macqueen and former ARU high performance boss Brett Robinson.
Wallaby Higginbotham showed his belief that Melbourne has a bright future by re-signing until after the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
“I’ve enjoyed playing under Hilly and he’s been a good coach with some great ideas but it’s not entirely up to me,” he said.
