Birmingham Moseley 14-13Cambridge

[Communications Team]

BIG MATCH PREVIEW 

Birmingham Moseley v Cambridge

By Glyn Barlow

Saturday 3rd March 2018

3.00pm KO @ Away

This Saturday Birmingham Moseley will be looking forward to a less chilly encounter as Cambridge visit Billesley Common.

Last weekend’s win over Loughborough Students should not be underestimated when you consider the challenge undertaken just to get a team to the ground, never mind play the game. Clearly while state of pitch is a factor when deciding to play or cancel a game there must also be thought given towards travel safety of players and supporters. With a crowd of 158 it’s probably not just on the pitch that the students incurred a loss.

This week’s opponents Cambridge were due to host Hull Ionians in a game they would have been hoping to secure points to lift them up the league from twelfth position. The team currently sits fourteen points off Birmingham Moseley, with two games in hand.

Cambridge’s league position is not a reflection of their ability to win games, judged on that alone they would currently sit in tenth, but rather a lack of ability to pick up try bonus points. With four to their name only basement team Fylde have less, a situation echoed in the team having only picked up 48 tries in total. A rare light in their try scoring endeavours has been centre Albert Portsmouth who has scored a fifth of the clubs tries with nine to date.

In contrast, however, to their scoring struggles Cambridge have one of the meanest defences when it comes to conceding tries, their line has been crossed 55 times. Only Coventry and Plymouth Albion have given up less.

Cambridge’s last outing two weeks ago saw a home loss to Caldy 6-15, having suffered a heavy 40-10 defeat the week before at Coventry. Indications of what Cambridge can achieve however can be found in a 20-8 win over Ampthill in February and a 16-14 victory over Plymouth Albion in January. Underestimate them at your peril.

In November Birmingham Moseley secured a hard fought 15-22 win at Grantchester Road. For the first 50 minutes Cambridge contained Birmingham Moseley’s attack until tries from Tim Molenaar and Adam Caves eased the visitors ahead. Since that game the club have drafted in Coventry prop Harry Morley to bolster their pack.

Apart from hypothermia the main thing Birmingham Moseley will have taken away from last week’s game is the spirit of the team battling back from being 25-14 down with a quarter to go to clinch the game in the last few minutes. This is a marked indication that the relatively young team is progressing significantly from early season, demonstrating cool heads when the going gets tough.

With their nearest rivals in the league Old Elthamians facing a tough trip to Coventry this Saturday them Birmingham Moseley have the chance to rise above them to occupy sixth spot for the first time this season. Looks like it should be a cracking encounter.

And as an added bonus don’t forget we will be showing the France v England game in the Reddings Suite after the final whistle.

[stevep]

Looking forward to it! Will the Ireland-Scotland game be on in the clubhouse pre-match?

[kingsheathlad]

It's on ITV so should be fingers crossed.

[Communications Team]

MEMBERS OFFER


We will have 50 vouchers for season ticket holders' friends to exchange for free gate tickets at the Cambridge game.



They will be available from Mary Bucknall at the Collections Office from 1pm on 10 March.



One per season ticket holder and first come first served.

[Communications Team]

[andyj]

Interesting that Ollie is playing number ten.
Any news on Chris Brightwell?

[grooveavenue]

Are they showing the full Birmingham Moseley match live on t.v. or just highlights...if it's live...what a scoop for BMRFC and ITV.. .

[grooveavenue]

Hope the cameras catch me....

[grooveavenue]

... on my left side....

[grooveavenue]

Chris B could be pre match half time and end game expert in ITVs coverage...

[kingsheathlad]

My post above was in response to to whether the Ireland ~Scotland game on in clubhouse

[martinwatson aka Camera Shake]

If anyone has any doubts at all about our development team, watch this



and in particular the player scoring the try at about 40 secs in.

And my point is?

That player is starting today for the 1st XV at 10 against Cambridge. Well done Ollie Allsopp and well done to all the coaches involved.

(Gosh, I really hope he now goes on to play a blinder today........)

[andyj]

Unfortunately not a great game with plenty of handling errors from both sides. Weather clearly had an impact with the ball, at times, like a bar of soap.
The pack was strangely out of sorts and didn’t really impose themselves until the last quarter. Crowd was also unnervingly quiet and down on numbers which was disappointing. I accept that the 6 Nations was on but from my standpoint attending a Mose game takes priority over an England game. I recorded the match and watched it when I got home.
I felt sorry for Ollie who started at number 10 and did struggle. I think he is beginning to blossom as a centre and I can see him holding down that position moving forward.

[kingsheathlad]

Better second half. I think when we had Bean and Snyman there was considerable weight to give our scrum some umph,yesterday we considerably lighter. Fidler coming on in second half improved our scrum,their loose head was a big unit.
A win and we have moved up one place.

[grooveavenue]

I would have to think that the Cambs. Crew would have been a little disgruntled at just picking up a losers bonus. It would be interesting to know what % of play was in BMRFC half?

Glyn's pre-match preview looked spot on. It looks like Camb. have been well up to matching a number of teams without getting over the winners line. For once our pack didn't dictate so that made it a good battle. I think one or two injuries showed up for us and Buster looked a little uncomfortable for a while. Tom's introduction settled us a bit.

The great thing is that we ended this week and last week matches with our concentration in tact to secure very narrow wins - something that may have gone astray some months ago! [very easy to say with a victory, I realise!1]

Now a rest week with the aim of achieving a higher spot than last season to aim for, a time to get over injuries and a time for other senior players to contribute towards achieving this goal and with drier pitches a higher input from the backs and wings - I'm looking forward to it!!

[Phil]

Birmingham Moseley 14 Cambridge 13: Mose moment of magic the winning difference