The Alltel Dewar Shield Round 11 Match of the Round will see Power House host the in-form Moorabbin at Noel Clarke Field.
The last time these two teams met in Round 4, Moorabbin came away with the win 24-20 in an entertaining battle at Harold Caterson Reserve.
Moorabbin leapfrogged Power House into the Top 4 of the Dewar Shield this, for the first time since Round 4, with a commanding 48-23 victory over Melbourne University.
Power House was overrun in the second half by the top of the table Melbourne Unicorns last week, recording a 17-32 defeat, and will be desperate to return back to the winners list against the Rams.
We caught up with both sides before their Round 11 clash to hear their thoughts on their sides preparations and what they believe the opposition will bring game day.
Power House player Patrick Hausman
You’ll be hoping to make your long-awaited return to rugby and debut for Power House this week. How has the road back from injury been and what are you looking forward to most about running out with the boys this weekend?
It’s been a long journey. In 2019 I ruptured my patella and the year off gave me time to build some confidence in it. Since pre-season started with the team, I’ve been ticking away at my rehab running and trying everything I can to get back out there. It’s a tight competition this year and I’m really looking forward to hopefully getting through training this week, and if all goes well, then I’m hoping to get named in the squad. I’m really excited to take on Moorabbin because the last time we played them was a really close game.
Power House narrowly went down to the top of the table Melbourne Unicorns in Round 10. What did the team take away from that performance?
Last week was a tough loss for our boys. In the first half we stuck to our structure. It was a close game and could have gone either way. After the half-time whistle, we conceded a try in the first two minutes, putting us on the back foot. We conceded a few penalties which gave them more front ball and they capitalised on it. Full credit to Melbourne, but it was a tough loss for us. We are really trying to get back into the top four.
Power House sits in fifth place with a 4-4 record. How do you feel the side has performed so far this season?
It’s been a tough season injury and depth-wise for us. There have been a lot of players who have stepped up. We have a lot of leaders such as Busta (Jarrod Eberhart) and Foxy (Fox Harper) who’s played every position in the backline probably is still injury free and playing 100%. It’s good to have those boys, as well as the likes of Jordan Schmidt, who’s taken a leadership role on board this season with the backs. Since Hayden McBride got injured, our captain Whiz (Rian Wisemantel) and Popey (Thomas Pope) have really stepped up.
What do you think Moorabbin will bring to the match-up and where do you think the game will be won and lost?
The last time we played Moorabbin, they obviously had some big forwards, and we just didn’t chop low enough, and we let them run. If we can stop their momentum as soon as they get the ball and also look out for some of their key players, we’ll go alright. We’ve got some great talent in the forwards and backs, and if we can play to our structure, I’m sure we’ll come away with the win.
Moorabbin Rams player Emosi Caniogo
Moorabbin sits in fourth place with a 5-3 record. How do you feel the side has performed so far this season?
It’s been a tough season for us. We’ve been facing a lot of injuries to key players. We lost Round 5 & 6, but our coaches and teammates went back to the drawing board to work on what we can improve on. We’ve come out our last two games with really strong wins and we are looking to keep the momentum going.
What did the team take-away from its strong win over Melbourne University in Round 10?
We wanted to really work on our mistakes Our coaches and teammates identified key areas we wanted to focus on for the match. Each week the boys come into training with a great attitude that we can always improve for the next game.
You’ve played every match this season in the Dewar Shield. What players have stood out to you that you have loved running out with each week?
Our skipper Machon Samu has been a real beacon of light for us – especially after the last two losses. Also, my other Fijian colleague coming out of injury, Apolosi, lit up last weeks match with a man of the match performance. He came off the bench in the previous match and also tore it up. I’m looking forward to running out with him in many more games, especially coming back from injury.
What do you think Power House will bring to the match-up and where do you think the match will be won and lost?
Obviously, Power House is doing all the basics right. They’ve got big forwards and know how to use them. The backs know how to pass the ball and move it across the field. We’ll be looking to counter-act this on the weekend. We trust we’ll put up a strong starting line-up against them.
The Alltel Dewar Shield Match of the Round will be held at Noel Clarke Field, K/O 3:15pm. Tune into Rugby Victoria’s Facebook page from 3pm to catch the live stream of the match.
