Power House grabbed fifth spot and claimed a place in the Dewar Shield finals with a 38-25 victory away to Melbourne University. Power House went into the match needing the win and hoping results across town would go their way. 
The visitors started strongly with two tries within the first ten minutes before University, playing for little more than pride got on the scoreboard through a penalty in the fifteenth minute. The visitors extended their lead with a try to Nathan Sweetman in the nineteenth minute before the home side came back strongly with two tries in the late stages of the first half. On the half hour mark, the students had an attacking line out on the twenty two, with the forwards engineering a textbook rolling maul all the way to the line with hooker Reg Stowers falling across the stripe to pull the score back to 19-8.
Stowers was in the thick of it again eight minutes later as he showed surprising fleet of foot when he pounced on a loose ball and scampered forty metres to touch down and reignite the contest. Uni went into the break trailing 19-13, albeit with fourteen men after centre Isamaeli Time was given a yellow card for a lazy high shot.
The home side came out of the break looking to feed of their late first half momentum, and when right winger Malaki Enosa took a wide floating pass to score in the corner to draw within one point, Power House were facing the real prospect of missing the finals.
The visitors stirred back into action however and after Uni were again reduced to fourteen, made the most of the extra man. Number eight, Tama Sweetman scored from a pushover try after a prolonged period of possession, before a tight head provided House flanker Shan Kilgour the opportunity to go over next to the posts and put some space between the sides. University fought hard to get back in the game and managed a four try bonus point late, before Albert Aiopolotea secured maximum points for the visitors with a try on the siren, sealing a 38-25 win and a spot in next week’s qualifying finals.
In other fixtures, Southern Districts threw the kitchen sink at Melbourne, but came up short falling 31-27 and missing the finals by two points, multiple draws costing them a place in the finals.
Footscray secured home ground advantage for the qualifying finals with an upset 27-24 win away to Moorabbin. Harlequins finished the regular season as minor premiers with a 41-21 win over Endeavour Hills.
The finals will kick off next weekend with Footscray hosting Power House in Qualifying Final at Henry Turner Reserve. The winner will take on minor premiers Harlequins in week two of the finals. Quins, Melbourne and Moorabbin all have a week off before fronting up for the semis on 7 September.
