Melbourne Rebels' New Zealand woes continued as they conceded 11 tries in a second straight loss to start their Super Rugby season.
It was no secret Melbourne were handed a horror schedule and they head into their week three bye after two sizeable losses to title contenders Auckland Blues and Wellington Hurricanes after the latter's thumping 71-6 win in Wellington on Saturday.
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Rebels destroyed in Wellington
After a promising 6-0 lead, Melbourne surrender 71 unanswered points against their New Zealand opponents.
There will be critics of the Rebels' defence but the Hurricanes were irresistible in large passages.
While former Melbourne Storm star Marika Koroibete made his highly anticipated Super Rugby debut and was serviceable, the Rebels couldn't maintain a controlled start and an early 6-0 lead as All Blacks stars Beauden Barrett and Nene Milner-Skudder cut their defence to shreds.
![Nic Stirzaker is tackled by the Hurricanes' TJ Perenara.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170813111403im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/q/s/e/m/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.guqpmd.png/1488617236584.jpg)
With the Waikato Chiefs at AAMI Park on March 17, the Rebels are staring down an 0-3 start although they still look strong enough to match any of the Australian conference sides with that view to be put to the test against NSW Wales Waratahs at AAMI Park on March 24.
Rebels captain Nic Stirzaker said his side had little to take from the game.
"It was a pretty bad performance in all facets of the game," Stirzaker said.
"We started well, we did the same last week, and we have to look at why we can't do it for 80 minutes.
![Matt Proctor scores one of the Hurricanes' many tries against Melbourne.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170813111403im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/q/s/e/v/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.guqpmd.png/1488617236584.jpg)
"Once they got a couple of tries and had their tails up it was hard to catch them."
As in round one, the Rebels' first 15 minutes was exceptional as they used the kicking power of Reece Hodge and Jack Debreczeni to their advantage and earned penalties with their work at the breakdowns with Hodge nailing one kick from halfway and one from 20 metres out to lead 6-0.
But returning fullback Milner-Skudder, who missed last season due to injury, beat two Rebels defenders on the inside to score his side's first try on 16 minutes.
That try emboldened the home side and they were barely troubled again with Barrett putting an inch-perfect chip kick over the defence and it gave Stirzaker a horror bounce into the path of winger Vince Aso who scored the second try.
Halfback TJ Perenara was the creator for try three passing to centre Ngani Laumape who powered past three Rebels' tacklers close to the line to put his side up 19-6 after an alert Jackson Garden-Bachop blocked Barrett's conversion from close range.
The Rebels had a late chance to score a try with a penalty 10 metres from the try line but after taking a line out they lost possession soon after.
Perenara and Aso exchanged passes on a break down the right and score then on half-time centre Matt Proctor finished off a flowing move as they led 31-6 at the break.
There was little improvement to start the second half as the Savea brothers, Ardi and Julian, combined to cut a hole in the Rebels' line with Ardi scoring on 42 minutes.
Rebels hooker James Hanson was forced off with injury soon after.
The Hurricanes forced the Rebels back into their half with No.8 Reed Princep and Julian Savea scoring tries, and then Milner-Skudder getting his hat-trick.
Laumafe's intercept try ended the scoring minutes before full time with a 60-metre effort.
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