Chris Bertram hopes for a successful new adventure on the road

Home luck ran out at last on a sunny but cool and windy afternoon at Billesley Common as Rosslyn Park took the spoils of victory and left Birmingham Moseley to reflect on an outcome that was really determined within the first 20 minutes.  During that period, their elusive wing Max Trimble crossed three times with barely a finger laid on him, twice from cross-field kicks that the Moseley defence did not anticipate.  Thereafter the match was more even, but handling errors meant that Moseley were unable to capitalise sufficiently on a two-man advantage late in the game which could have earned bonus points at least.  There will have been much analysis of what could have been done better, and this will need to be carried forward into future matches.

Moseley remain on 16 points, now eighth in the league table, level with recent opponents Rams and just behind Rosslyn Park and Bishop’s Stortford.  It remains tight in the middle of the league, and small numbers of points can make quite a difference, so any bonus points in addition to points from wins will be very valuable.  The fact that the other teams with three wins and three losses are all above us in the table tells its own story.  It’s up to Moseley to pick up from defeat and start to change that narrative.

The place where this change can start in Round 7 is Bury St Edmunds, a town with a cathedral and a well-known brewery, who by no coincidence at all sponsor their local rugby side.  Their ground, the Haberden, is by the side of the River Lark, a tributary of the Great Ouse,  and next to the road to Sudbury.  This is part 2 of Moseley’s Adventures Along the A14, as three of our opponents this season mean long trips along this important trunk road.  Part 1 was to Bishop’s Stortford, and Moseley will hope that the sequel has a happier ending than that instalment.  

The two teams have never met before, with this being Bury’s highest ever league standing.   They arrived here having topped National League 2 East, 2 points ahead of Oundle, who Moseley overcame to remain in National 1.  They have found their new league rather harder going, and currently sit in 12th place with 12 points, just behind relegated team London Scottish and ahead of fellow-promotees Sheffield, to whom they lost last weekend.  This ought to mean that Moseley go into the encounter with confidence, but away form has yet to spark this season, so no assumptions can be made.

Bury have bagged 25 tries so far to Moseley’s 22.  Top of the try scorers with 5 is full back George Loose. He is in his third season with the club, having moved from North Walsham.  Nobody else has more than three tries.  Top scorer is fly-half Ben Penfold who has 40 points, all from the boot.  Something of a veteran, he has been at Bury since 2021, having moved from Cambridge, where he made his debut in 2017.

Tries for Moseley last Saturday came from centre Harry Ingram, his first for the club, captain Fin Smith with his second, and full back Zac Jones, also with his first, which he also converted.  Harry Read also landed two conversions and remains top scorer with 45 points.    Sixteen different players have now crossed for Moseley, a truly democratic demonstration of scoring ability that shows a threat from anywhere in the line-up.

So we have a new opponent at a new venue, and the incentive to turn the away form around and make the most of the league superiority.  A tighter defence will be needed, but Moseley have speed on the wings and forwards that can batter holes in opponents’ lines.  Urging them on will be a coach full of supporters eager to experience new surroundings, and, with a posse of independent travellers ready to issue the passionate cry:

“Come on Moseley”