Chris Bertram on the chance for a new start
It’s all change at Birmingham Moseley. A new head coach has been installed in Ollie Thomas, and with that will come a fresh approach to coaching and tactics. Players will be challenged in new ways to prove their capabilities. The club has expressed its sincere thanks to Pete Glackin for his work over the past few years, but it was clear in view of the club’s league position that something had to change. That has now happened, and we move forward and hopefully towards a better place in the table in short order.
The catalyst for the change was likely the result of the home match against Sale FC. In highly challenging conditions, Moseley led for a significant portion of the match, but could not carry that through to victory. A losing bonus point seemed like scant reward for the effort expended, but in the end Sale crossed the line twice to Moseley’s once, and that proved the difference in the end.
That single point, however, lifted Moseley off the foot of the table and into 13th place, thanks to Leicester Lons losing with no bonus point and having a worse points difference. But we are approaching the halfway point of the season, and two wins from eleven games leave only two more games before all have played all once and we can see how the land lies for the rest of the year.
If there is a glimmer of hope, it is that the next two games are against other teams nearer the foot of the table than the top. First up are Leeds Tykes, promoted last season from National Two North. At one time a Premiership club, they have declined somewhat, and are now tenants at West Park rugby club in Bramhope, but they retain the proud tradition inherited from Headingley and Roundhay of carrying the hopes of the 15-man code in a city where the 13-man version is dominant.
Leeds sit two places above Moseley, five points ahead. They have four wins from eleven; perhaps ominously, these have come in the last six matches, as Leeds recovered from a disastrous start. Crucially, they have performed well against other bottom-half clubs, including a difficult away win at Tonbridge. They will be looking at the table, seeing where Moseley lie, and maybe counting the points already. Moseley must aim to upset their plans and to ambush them in their own back yard; having both scored more points and conceded fewer than their hosts, this must be a realistic aim.
Leeds are a team with no dominant try scorer. Scrum half Ewan Laughton is top with just four, two of those coming against Tonbridge Juddians last time out. Ewan has been with the club since 2022, having joined from Paviors. Top scorer is Seremaia Turagabeci, a full back in his fifth season at The Sycamores.
For Moseley, only second row Louis Mifsud crossed for a try against Sale, so Morgan Dawes and Ollie Stedman remain top try scorers with five each. Tighe Maxwell-Whitely landed one conversion and Jack Jolly two penalties, but Tommy Taylor remains top scorer for Moseley with 46 points.
A first away win of the season would work wonders in improving the morale of players, coaches and supporters alike. It may be breezy and damp in Bramhope on Saturday, but these are conditions that Moseley should be fine with. Though no coach is running, a hardy band of independent travellers will doubtless make the journey and let their presence be felt with the passionate cry:
“Come on Moseley”
