Kurtley Beale and James O'Connor won't be missed in Melbourne, Scott Higginbotham says © Getty Images

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Scott Higginbotham is confident Melbourne Rebels will cover the loss of Kurtley Beale and James O'Connor during the 2014 Super Rugby season.

Beale has returned to New South Wales Waratahs, while O'Connor is playing with London Irish in England, and the Rebels hope the focus in 2014 will be on their rugby rather than off-field issues. The star pair offered little value for their high price tags during their time in Melbourne, due to injury, while Beale was also suspended and spent time in a rehabilitation facility for alcohol-related issues.

"We've got 30 blokes with their heads down trying to play at the Wallaby level, so there's not a lot of distractions," Higginbotham said. "We've got Bryce Hegarty, who got a lot of game time at 10 last season, and there's Angus Roberts, who's got the makings to be a great 10."

Former Australian Schoolboys player Jack Debreczeni, 20, has also joined the Rebels from Sydney to offer another prospective partner for scrum-half Luke Burgess.

Scott Higginbotham is content with progress - of the Rebels and of himself © Getty Images

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Scott Higginbotham said that Melbourne, who finished 12th in 2013 under Damien Hill, were making a fresh start under new coach Tony McGahan.

"Tony is very precise and professional, and very direct on his views," Higginbotham said. "We've got a lot of young guys in the squad and having a lot of structure in the squad is what they need."

Higginbotham finished the Super Rugby season in career-best form, but he missed the British & Irish Lions series in June and the remainder of the Test season after shoulder and hip surgery. He retained hope that he would play on the Wallabies' current five-Test northern hemisphere tour, but a small setback during rehabilitation means he is yet to resume full contact training.

"I came in very underdone at the start of 2013, which was disappointing for me," Higginbotham said. "I was coming out of injuries and I just wasn't up to to scratch. I've missed a whole season of Wallabies, so I've got a lot to prove next year … I'm looking forward to hitting the ground running rather than building into the season."