Power hopes dented as Rebels submit their biggest-ever dwelling rating

Melbourne have put a serious dent within the Western Power’s Tremendous Rugby Pacific finals aspirations and farewelled Rebels stalwart Reece Hodge from AAMI Park as a winner with a thumping 52-14 victory.

The loss wasn’t the one injury to the Power’s play-off hopes, with the WA membership relegated to ninth by Queensland’s last-gasp loss to the Highlanders earlier on Friday night time.

They had been unable to choose up a degree within the eight tries to 2 romp, whereas the Rebels, who would require a miracle within the final spherical to make the finals, not less than gave their followers one thing to cheer about with the bonus-point victory.

The match was the final at dwelling for France-bound centre Hodge, who overtook Tom English because the most-capped Melbourne participant with 99.

The 28-year-old was unable to get amongst the try-scoring motion, with 5 of the Rebels’ forwards – Brad Wilkin, Sam Talakai, Josh Kemeny, Richard Hardwick and Vaiolini Ekuasi – sharing a few of the spoils.

TOUGH Talakai! ?

Sam Talakai rips by means of the Western Power’s defence to attain his first ever Tremendous Rugby attempt!#SuperRugby pic.twitter.com/oGJ57DXkap

— Tremendous Rugby Pacific (@SuperRugby) Might 26, 2023

Melbourne arrange the win with their go-forward and dominance on the set-piece and breakdown. The remainder of the tries had been scored by Ryan Louwrens, Lachie Anderson and Nick Jooste in Melbourne’s biggest-ever rating posted at AAMI Park.

5-eighth Carter Gordon, who missed final week’s loss to the Highlanders with a knee harm, and veteran half-back Louwrens mixed to spark the relentless Rebels assault. Bullocking centre Sam Spink scored a attempt in every half for the Power – intercepting a Gordon move for his second.

But it surely was in any other case a disappointing efficiency to comply with their breakthrough win over the Brumbies final day out. Presently tenth, the Rebels tackle the third-placed Brumbies in Canberra within the last spherical. The Power might want to beat the ladder-leading Chiefs in Perth to drive their method again into finals competition.