Tom English of the Rebels breaks through a Stormers tackle © Getty Images

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Melbourne Rebels coach Damien Hill is hopeful that Friday night's landmark victory over the Stormers can prove to be a stepping stone for his fledgling side.

Now into their third season in Super Rugby, the Rebels had only won nine times heading into Friday's encounter and had never defeated a team from South Africa until their 30-21 triumph at AAMI Park.

According to Hill it was due reward after a string of narrow losses over the past month and the Rebels coach said the win would be shared by everyone at the club.

"I am extremely pleased for the players, the supporters and the staff," Hill said. "They have played exceptionally well over the last month and just barely lost. But today that extra 10 minutes of composure led to a win. These last five games we have played well and that little two or three percent improvement this week has led to this result. They finished top of the ladder last year, the Stormers, so to knock them off tonight is a really fantastic effort by the whole organisation."

The victory was even sweeter for the Rebels, given it was done with a host of star players out injured.

Star back James O'Connor had an injury to his sternoclavicular joint and could only watch on from the sidelines, while fellow Wallaby Kurtley Beale is still serving a club-imposed suspension and is unlikely to play for the Rebels again.

Hill gave praise to scrum-half Nic Stirzaker and rugby league convert Bryce Hegarty for their performances and believes the quality of young players at the club should ensure a bright future for the Rebels.

"I'm exceptionally pleased with the way the young guys are coming through," Hill said. "It takes a while to acclimatise to this level, and that's what they are doing. They are making every post a winner at the moment and that should bode them well for the future."

Hill said it was a characteristic of a good side that players could come in and perform admirably when filling in for injured stars.

"It puts things in perspective into the value of the team and the performance when there is 15 players united and on the same page," he said. "You need to have that in this competition where players drop out and others come in it needs to be as seamless as it can. It doesn't come easy, it takes a lot of hard work. But the work they have put in over the last five weeks in particular is evidence of that. It is tough week in week out and it was a courageous effort the guys had tonight."