Post by Communications Team on Oct 26, 2018 13:24:46 GMT
Big Match Preview by Glyn Barlow
This week we welcome Sale F.C. for their first league visit to Billesley Common following their promotion from National Two North last season.
Sale F.C. trace their history back to 1861. Born out of an association with Sale Cricket club, playing early fixtures at the cricket ground the team set down roots at Heywood Road in 1905.
During the amateur days of rugby a number of famous players represented the club including Dewi Morris, Steve Smith and Fran Cotton.
The advent of professionalism saw the club morph into two separate organisations Sale Sharks playing professional rugby while Sale F.C. originally remained true to the amateur ethos of the game.
Interestingly the two teams are coming back together with Sharks announcing they will be investing in Sale F.C. with the objective winning promotion to the Championship. Cooperation will include sharing players, resources and the management teams working together, while the Sharks will help Sale F.C. achieve financial sustainability.
In preparation for life in a higher league Sale have brought in a number of new players including back row Stone Priestly-Nangle from Hull Ionians, centre Kieran Dunne from Altrincham and Elliot Hodgson from Huddersfield The most high profile addition to the squad is undoubtedly former Sale Sharks and England Saxons back row Dave Seymour. In addition the link with Sharks has made a number of players available including Samoan international centre Jonny Leota.
So far this campaign the team started off with a 36 all draw at Cambridge, following it up with a 26-24 win over Caldy. Further wins over Bishop’s Stortford 22-8, Old Elthamians 42-38, Darlington Mowden Park 29-31 leaves the team currently in eighth place eleven points above Birmingham Moseley.
An indication of the team’s ability to score points is clear in them having the third highest points total in the league behind Old Elthamians and Rotherham Titans. On this basis you could be excused for wondering why they are not near the top of the table. Unfortunately the good work in attack seems to be undone by the fact they also have the third highest points against total. We might be in for a high scoring game this weekend!
So what of Birmingham Moseley? Another game, another heartbreaking loss by a few points seems to be the story of the season. Saturday’s loss at Blackheath represented the fifth match this season where the team have been defeated by five points or less. Let us not talk of bad luck, the team will recognise that defeat lay again in the inability to control the match for the full eighty minutes. Blackheath picked up three tries in one fifteen minute spell in the first half and two, most disappointingly when they were down to fourteen men, in four minutes in the third quarter. These lapses are costing the team dearly and they need to manage the game for the full eighty.
On the plus side the return of Ravai Fatiaki and Aaron Croft will add to the teams overall aim to up the concentration and intensity. Let’s hope this week we see the trend of results reversed.
I'll be there today and even if Moseley only make but a remote semblance of a structured game management I am hopeful that they break their penchant of late to lose to the league newcomers. So, up and at 'em Moseley.
Great win 31~15. Could not make the game as unwell. Did James Williams at centre make a difference.
I think he scored 26 of the points so.....
Sale scored with the last passage of play so the score was 31:22. Overall a great performance from the lads. Forwards were immense and really bossed the opposition in the second half. James Williams had a great game and was my man of the match. Only one small criticism - why do kick the ball away so often?Sale had a good period of play and we couldn’t get possession. When we finally did get the ball we immediately kicked it back to them!!!!,
Sale scored with the last passage of play so the score was 31:22. Overall a great performance from the lads. Forwards were immense and really bossed the opposition in the second half. James Williams had a great game and was my man of the match. Only one small criticism - why do kick the ball away so often?Sale had a good period of play and we couldn’t get possession. When we finally did get the ball we immediately kicked it back to them!!!!,
Personally I think we kicked far less today then we have all season and that’s what was the difference. We actually looked more like the side from last season. We looked in full control. We had our 6 & 7 happily running out to the open 15m channel knowing they will get the ball as the 10 will run the ball instead of thinking the 10 will kick it. I think JW was well worthy of his MOM award today but I also think Sam.H at 10 bought back the game management that’s been missing. Nothing special nothing spectacular just controlled the game well where the lumps up front knew what was needed and the backs just played intelligently. The fact we made 1 change (and that was with 5 mins to go) for me tells you the coaches felt we were in full control and physically were in good health.
Superb win by the boys. Could have been more with some try scoring chances eluding us. Lineout, ball handling and kicking much improved. Despite, a YC we controlled most of the game. Conceding tries to Sale late on in each half, flattered their score line!
Well folks the lads have finally got rid of the monkey on their shoulder of losing to the new boys in the league. I memory serves me right Moseley have lost home and away to the new boys in the league for the last two seasons so today's win was most welcome.
Although sale did not win they were pretty stubborn in defence in particular defending against the Moseley driving maul. Indeed every Moseley attempt to start a maul, a catch and drive from a line out for example, was smothered out before it could gather momentum, so full credit to Sale for that. However, in the tight Sale were no match for the Moseley 8 where Moseley dominated, particularly in the second half when the only way Sale could stop Moseley was by conceding penalties. Why there was not at least one penalty try I do not know.
The handling today was much better, as was the kicking from hand where some very good touch kids made lots of ground rather than sailing out of play 10 yards up the field. However, kick off still seems to be a bit of a problem. Whereas Sale were often in the Moseley players faces when they kicked off - and there they kicked were intentionally crafty kicks to try and cause a knock on - Moseley were too deep which gave Sale a clear run at Moseley.
With regards to counter attack I though Sale had the edge on Moseley throughout the game and that, with a number of good steals, kept them in the game. I also feel Sale were also better than Moseley at switching the point of attack creating some impressive overlaps with slick passing in the process.
Moseley on the other hand wore Sale down up front and it was that domination which created try scoring opportunities for Moseley. I was just a bit disappointed that Moseley did not get the try bonus they deserved, but never mind they played well and won the game.
Let us all hope they can keep the momentum going next week against Loughborough.
I thought the forwards were well matched in the first half, but Sale struggled after making changes.
Our second half performance was strong, particularly when down to 14.
Sale didn’t have many chances after the break, but did take them with a penalty and last-play try. At least we had enough of a cushion this time.
Hopefully the line out moves in the undercroft were just decoys for the opposition, although we still seem unsure ourselves at time. Keep it simple, guys, that seems to work.
............and a welcome to Colin Osbourne in Head Coach role. Nipped in quietly through our front door! An interesting CV with Quins First Team XV and development of youngsters when Academies were introduced. Yes Shy Spa I prefer the simple ball retention game rather than an expansive gambling tactic - at least until we've moved up the table. Still not 5 pints for 5 points though !!! Next Week ?!
Sale scored with the last passage of play so the score was 31:22. Overall a great performance from the lads. Forwards were immense and really bossed the opposition in the second half. James Williams had a great game and was my man of the match. Only one small criticism - why do kick the ball away so often?Sale had a good period of play and we couldn’t get possession. When we finally did get the ball we immediately kicked it back to them!!!!,
Personally I think we kicked far less today then we have all season and that’s what was the difference. We actually looked more like the side from last season. We looked in full control. We had our 6 & 7 happily running out to the open 15m channel knowing they will get the ball as the 10 will run the ball instead of thinking the 10 will kick it. I think JW was well worthy of his MOM award today but I also think Sam.H at 10 bought back the game management that’s been missing. Nothing special nothing spectacular just controlled the game well where the lumps up front knew what was needed and the backs just played intelligently. The fact we made 1 change (and that was with 5 mins to go) for me tells you the coaches felt we were in full control and physically were in good health.
Agree - we kicked far less and when we did it was generally intelligent/effective. At Blackheath I thought we were lucky still to be in the game at half time...…….a complete about turn this week where Sale were lucky to be in it at half time (that's probably a bit harsh on Sale but...). Not quite sure why we still seem to ship points with the last play (both halves)……..might just be one of those things. Forwards put a great shift in and were rewarded with an efficient performance from the backs. Nothing flashy but pretty relentless and certainly effective with backs and forwards seeming to be receiving the ball on the move which always helps. V happy with 4 points.....not getting greedy! A string of wins will see any of the lower half move up the table quickly - based on yesterday there's no reason why it shouldn't be us.
............and a welcome to Colin Osbourne in Head Coach role. Nipped in quietly through our front door! An interesting CV with Quins First Team XV and development of youngsters when Academies were introduced. Yes Shy Spa I prefer the simple ball retention game rather than an expansive gambling tactic - at least until we've moved up the table. Still not 5 pints for 5 points though !!! Next Week ?!
Is that the Colin Osbourne who played for us in the centre (for those of us old enough to remember) - circa the mid 80's?
