Well folks. I was at the Rams match today but I am afraid I didn't have the same view of the way the match unfolded as did our comms team reporter above. The Rams certainly were not Hull and neither were Moseley the team they were last week playing at home but that should have not affected the way Moseley approached the game and a game where the conditions were absolutely ideal for a running game.
The match today, in my view, was in stark contrast to the lightening quick, champagne style win of running rugby last week when Moseley, even though a couple of elements were not quite up to scratch, played like a well oiled machine.
Today, Rams were the well oiled machine and Moseley were the opposite, not quite rabbits in headlamps but seemingly very unsure of themselves. Gone was the flamboyant, confident Moseley of last week and in it's place was a slow, pondering rudderless oil tanker floundering in heavy seas.
Let me start with the kick off seeing that Moseley started the game that way. The very first kick off was too deep, far too deep for any Moseley player to put pressure on the receiver. Moreover, Rams were more than happy with that immediately demonstrating their collective forward strength and forcing Moseley to concede multiple penalties - all within the first five minutes - along with the ignominy of conceding an early converted try.
Another Moseley Kicked off and yet again it was too long giving the Rams ample time to launch yet another effective attack through their highly efficient mobile pack and confident backs. But what was immediately apparent - and I noticed this in the Rams warm up - was the excellent Rams support play. Last week Moseley demonstrated superb support play; today it was the turn of the Rams and they were a master class above Moseley, men versus boys one could say. And to hammer home that support play advantage Moseley constantly kicked possession away. Good grief. What on earth were they thinking?
My early thoughts were that Moseley would boss the Rams in the tight 8 and hold the line out advantage, but it was not to be. The tight 8 was not all together a lost cause; the Rams were marginally better in the loose, but in the line out the Rams - just like Hull last week - played a very effective catch and drive which Moseley had great difficulty containing.
Which brings me to sustained Moseley pressure in the Rams 10 yard area some 30 mins or so into the game when Moseley were already 18 - 0 down. Ok, the Moseley hooker knocked on following a throw to the front of the line out - that is the way things can go - but what distressed me the most during a promising period of sustained Moseley pressure, was the sight of the ball gloriously isolated, on a plate, to the blind side, at he back of a ruck. God only knows where the scrum half was but my thoughts were that the Rams are going to counter ruck that ball before someone got there - and they did. Moreover, they not only counter rucked and won the ball but they got all the way down to the other end of the pitch.
That seemed to galvanise Moseley as they regrouped and forced a converted try themselves with about 3 mins to go of the first half. Moseley had had an atrocious first half, surely they could not play any worse. Surely they were going to get a right old rocket at half time - they certainly needed one.
But Rams came out and scored within two minutes of the restart. So much for a rocket at half time. Which brings me back to kick offs. Last week Moseley, at almost every kick off, received the ball with a 'lifted' second row. And because the 'lifted' receiver was in the air that meant the defence had limited options to counter any attack. It was highly conspicuous by it's absence this week because today, every single kick off was received by a lone, unsupported player. Why, I have to ask myself?
Moseley did begin to attack with more urgency and made any number of 'clean breaks' both through the forwards and through 'Man of the Match' centre. However, clean breaks need to take advantage of the overlaps they often create but today that advantage was all too often lost. Never-the-less Moseley stuck to their uphill task scoring three tries to two in the process and were pressing hard by the time Rams, who managed the later part of the game very well, hoofed the ball off the field to claim their well earned prize AND maintain the winning streak at home.
For the last 3 seasons, Moseley have almost exclusively lost to the new boys in National 1. I have no idea why which goes some way to explain why, for me, this loss was not all together unexpected. The salutary fact is that in one fell swoop, this loss has cost Moseley 6 positions in the league table. I know it is early days Let us all hope they learn from this loss and bounce back next week.
We shall see next week.
Come on Moooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooose
Some great reporting and opinion from both contributors. I wasn't there so obviously comment from afar if that's OK.
Just from Twitter I thought we'd make a victory but that their last try to 25 was the killer, just too much to retrieve.
I reflect on the fact that BM have moved out many players in the Summer and likewise brought in many. Rams meanwhile after such a successful season have held onto a majority of their squad. How many seasons on the trot has Maggsy and Prothers had to rebuild a virtual new squad? All of this takes its toll and thats, to me, is where Balders is at the moment seeking stability etc with a vast new number of players - some experienced, some taking up a new opportunity in a higher division and some younger players, hopefully for the future. It may take time it may not work out immediately but I know we're all behind the club efforts for change.
Mind you, a toughy next week even though BS lost at the weekend.
Looking at the fixture list and now well used to the strengths of this Division after 3 seasons I think we can look forward to some mighty close clashes.
Basic unforced errors cost us dear - two dropped high balls under no pressure cost us their first and last tries, the second basically killed the match just 2 minutes into the second half. Rams defended well and took more or less every chance we handed them without showing any great ambition off their own ball. We also lost too many key line outs including several where we kicked to the corners. Thought JD in the centre was outstanding.
Post by southernmose on Sept 15, 2019 11:20:08 GMT
Funny match really - whereas last week everything we tried came off, yesterday a lot of it went wrong.
Every Rams score in the first half, and the first one in the second came off our errors - 2 horrid drops of the high ball as noted above amongst other things. FWIW I thought Rams looked totally one dimensional, but very good at what they do. If they play like that every week then the stronger teams just need to watch a couple of the videos and they'll have them on toast. They may well have other gears, but it didn't *look* like it yesterday. Possibly we just didn't give them enough to need to try anything else but difficult to tell after seeing them once.
We also looked clearly fitter, some of the Rams players were done in by 70 mins but by then the mountain was a bit too high for Mose to climb. Or was it? I actually thought we might just do it from the 65th min or so, and tbh if it hadn't been for some mighty defence on their line I think we would have done. Most of the match felt like we were playing catch up, but by the final whistle it did feel more like we'd left 4 points out there. Overall though I think 4-1 to the home side was the fair result.
I think the point about squad turnover is totally fair - they are basically the team (not quite the squad as they have strengthened) that got them up last season, and which hasn't lost at home since Feb (I think) 2018... We, on the other hand, are a new proposition.
OTOH, we did look like a totally different side to the one that put Hull to the sword last week - back to the age old Mose problem of kicking aimlessly up field at times. More worrying was a seeming inability to take the ball to ground in the tackle - far too many times yesterday players were seeking to make wild offloads on their way down which either hurtled into space, or were neatly poached.
Interesting approach by the ref - I don't want to make too much of this because IMO we'd have lost anyway but worth noting... all sorts of late tackles, high tackles, funny angles in the Rams second row at the scrum, etc. We definitely aren't angels (and certainly weren't yesterday) but actually Rams looked quite cynical.
On the other hand, nice set-up down there, some good rugby people amongst the fans who it was a pleasure to talk to. Big plans for the future, disappointing number of people who seemed to be there for the party in the clubhouse rather than the match but charitably it was their first one at this level so who wouldn't want to celebrate?
Electric scoreboard, big screen (ex Twickenham so I was told), car parking a bit tight for any future visitors under their own steam - well, more that it was a bit of a wait to get out onto the dual carriageway.
I guess they were mostly WAGS of players (Rams 2nds were playing Richmond on the adjacent pitch) but I would say the average age of the supporters is lower than it is at Mose. Hopes to pick up more casual rugby fans when LI move back to London imminently.
Overall, good club, nice away day, friendly people, highly recommended for a visit. I just have a question mark over how good they are. I think they're the real deal in terms of a strong settled team, but I wonder what they will do when they come up against a side that doesn't butcher its own chances while handing them the ball.
Looking forward to seeing some of their supporters again when they come to us.
Good comments southernmost and I totally agree with your comments that Moseley were "...totally different to the one that put Hull to the sword last week..." Last week they were much, much quicker to the breakdown and moved the ball in all directions with little resistance - but not all the time. Hull were not too bad with their pick and drive near the line. And the fact that Moseley, last week, compared with yesterday, were receiving a much greater number of kick offs which meant they had lots of opportunities to perfect the receivers catching technique - something which impressed me greatly. So why did they not use the same technique yesterday and tie in a couple more defenders rather than leave a lone ball receiver - usually Auile Smith - to fend off and / or protect his catch until support arrived. That was good game management by RAMS because it tied Auile down and restricted his undoubted attacking ability.
By contrast Rams had all the space and time in the world to have a 'tea break' before they needed to take evasive action. and the rest is now history.
Ah well. Let's get the poor game out of our system early and, as they say, look onwards and upwards starting next week.
And no I didn't feel the slightest bit moved yesterday to sing out;
Agree with much of the comment about our performance. We missed far too many tackles and kicked the ball away when we needed to retain possession. Really didn’t like some of The Rams tactics but the ref seemed incapable of working out what they were up to particularly after we scored our third try. What hasn’t been mentioned is the deliberate knock on when we were close to their line. I saw it but the touch judge was not up with play. That should have been a penalty try and a yellow card. Cheap shot I know but I was not at all impressed with the ref nor one touch judge. We must have more consistency - we get a yellow card about 5 mins before half time. It took several penalties before the Rams lost a player.
One of the RAMs penalties and the Moseley yellow card that came with it also came off the back of a pass that was a country mile forward but unfortunately neither touch judge not referee were anywhere near the play. The penalty count did at least seem to even up in the second half.
Did anyone notice that with about 3 minutes left the referee held up play - but left the clock running down - whilst one of the Rams players slowly fastened his bootlaces. Talk about game management. And from my position right up by the club house I couldn't see what shenanigans were going on at the other end of the pitch when Moseley were pressing the Rams line, but I suspected there were some dark, dastardly deeds going on.
Post by kingsheathlad on Sept 15, 2019 17:31:44 GMT
I could not fathom why the ref stopped the game second half for no apparent reason or assistant ref intervention.from where I was in corner I could not see the clocks.When we scored our third try their coach was telling them ` don`t panic`. I thought we could get another try with the momentum,but not to be.I was impressed with our fitness in that heat as they tired rapidly towards the end. Onwards and upwards. Come on Mose.......
Don’t think the ref had the best game in the world, but doing to the best of his ability. I thought overall we were OK, but lacked intensity in some vital periods of the match. Think we all have to remember, effectively this is a completely new starting XV, should they have lost, yes is my answer, but they are going to be a real handful as they get to know each other as the season progresses.
I agree with Ale's comments regarding a completely new starting XV and that Moseley could become a real handful as they get to know each other. That aside we supporters still 'expect' the best out of Moseley at all times, irrespective of the team make up, or opposition, or the outcome because there is certainly no shame in losing to a better side - witness the Coventry pre-season friendly. However, when one compares the two opening Moseley performances, Hull and Rams respectively, chalk and cheese spring to mind.
Let us see what Saturday brings. A home win? Hopefully. A good performance? Certainly.
Come on Moooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooose
