The Big Match Preview – Birmingham Moseley v Rosslyn Park
Chris Bertram hopes good form carries over into the New Year
For once, Birmingham Moseley did not have to score six tries to achieve a bonus point win. Under fading light and on a heavy pitch, a fourth try from returning flanker Morgan Dawes early in the second half was sufficient to seal the victory, with the side able to rebuff a Leicester Lions comeback. That sealed a perfect December, with 15 points from 15 available. Quite the turnaround from a November where just three bonus points were gained.
Leicester Lions were game opponents, but clearly second best on the day. Any dreams that they may have had of repeating their first half performance from Billesley were dashed by Moseley scoring twice early, and they were always playing catch-up. A missed conversion deprived them of a losing bonus point, and they continue to struggle at the foot of the table.
The five points from this match enabled Moseley to leapfrog Clifton and move to tenth in the table, level on points with Sedgley Park. The next target must be to catch Bishop’s Stortford, whose recent run of form has taken them up to eighth with 37 points, seven ahead of Moseley. The aim must be for Moseley to extend their own recent sequence of victories into the new year and make their way clear of the danger zone. With twelfth-placed Dings Crusaders only two points behind, there is no room for complacency. They are our opponents next weekend, and that match will surely still be crucial for both teams.
However, before that we have the visit of old friends Rosslyn Park to look forward to. The game at The Rock in September was highly competitive up to the final ten minutes, when Park pulled away to a clear 47-24 victory, but recent matches between the sides have usually been keenly contested, with one- or two-point margins of victory not uncommon. Moseley will certainly not turn down a single point win if that is what it takes, but will doubtless hope for something a little more comfortable.
Dare Moseley dream of victory? Three wins in a row is encouraging, but Rosslyn Park are fourth in the table with ten victories and thirteen bonus points. However, their four losses have come in the last five games, with two defeats before Christmas. They will certainly be trying to reverse this slump in form, but must be nervous about recent results, and have not always found Billesley a happy hunting ground. So there must be guarded optimism about the prospects for Saturday.
Two players dominate the try scoring for Rosslyn Park, both outside backs. Luke Mehson, with 15, is a young full back in his first season at the club, while wing Charlie Walker, who has 11, has been around longer, joining from Ealing Trailfinders in 2022. Mehson is also top scorer, but leading the kicking charts with 62 points is fly-half Steffan James, a recruit from Cambridge in 2024, and who was previously at Rams. Park have a tradition of long-serving players who we will recognise from previous encounters.
For the red-and-blacks, the scorers at Westleigh Park are the top three in the rankings. Captain Ollie Stedman bagged a brace to move to eight, hooker Ben Pogson has seven in what is becoming a fine season for the youngster, and Morgan Dawes now has six. Jack Jolly’s three conversions took him to 26 points, and Tighe Maxwell-Whiteley added two points to his tally and now has 34. Tommy Taylor, absent for a few weeks, still leads with 46 points.
There will be a mood of anticipation at the Common on Saturday as the supporters wait to find out if the resurgence in Moseley’s fortunes has carried through the festive break. The team will be up for the challenge, and the Billesley faithful will be there to back them, loud and proud, with the passionate cry:
“Come on Moseley”
