Chris Bertram hopes for a secure home victory
Two games into the season, and already a number of things seem clear. Firstly, Sale FC are going to be at or near the top of the table if they maintain their current form, with a strong pack and speedy backs capable of exploiting defensive weaknesses. Secondly, Birmingham Moseley are also capable of scoring tries even against strong opposition, with two try bonus points from two games and nine tries on the board. Thirdly, Moseley are going to need to work on defensive organisation – 99 points conceded so far is a concerning figure, and the flow of these points against will have to be slowed down to maintain the decent start that the team has otherwise made.
However, there was much to enjoy from last Saturday’s match. There was once again a keenness to keep moves flowing, with offloads from the tackle and passes in advance a feature of the attacking play. Sale were nonetheless the better side, but even they will admit that they rode their luck in the early part of the match to have their try bonus by half time. Moseley threatened to close up to earn a losing bonus, but Sale pulled away towards the end. If the Moseley backs tired, then fitness will also be a focus in training this week.
So, with round 2 over, round 3 brings us back to BIllesley Common, and the visit of Dings Crusaders from north Bristol. They have yet to win this term, with a draw at home to Rams followed by a big loss away at Bishops Stortford. This is something they will wish to put right, and they will look to last season as inspiration. That was their second season in National League 1, and they beat Moseley both home and away, achieving revenge for the previous season when Moseley won both games. While Moseley are currently 8th in the table with 6 points, Dings are 11th with 4 – it’s close at this early stage, and a win will be crucial for the fortunes of either team.
Dings have acquired a reputation for fielding many dual-registered players from Bristol when available in their time in National 1. It’s fair to say that this has been a bit controversial, with some unexpectedly fine results such as a win away at Rotherham last season coming when such players featured in the line-up. We are told that this is no longer to be the case, with a much smaller number of players being used, but we will see as the season goes on. Last season’s top try scorers were centre Harry Rowson with 18 and hooker Sam Cantwell with 13. Both have crossed the line once so far this season, so we must expect them to be hungry for more. Winger Solomon O’Brien-Taufa has two tries already, and will need to be watched carefully.
While it was the backs that starred for Moseley against Cambridge, it was the turn of the forwards against Sale. Co-captains prop Ethan Priest and lock Fin Smith both opened their accounts for the season, as did flanker Will Masters-Safe, hooker Ben Pogson and No 8 Ardal Yallop. It is encouraging that the try-scoring capability is spread right across the team, and maybe this will be mixed up a bit this week. Another immaculate kicking performance by Harry Read, with five conversions from five, means that he leads the team in scoring with 26 points.
Billesley Common must become a fortress, and this match will show whether the team can make that so against lively opposition. The squad is being managed sensibly with regard to workload, and players rested last week may feature this time. Last season’s reverses will be on everyone’s mind, and the home crowd will be keen to see the red-and-blacks triumph. With that in mind, let’s all gather at the Common and let the team hear the passionate cry:
“Come on Moseley”
