Llanelli 40 Moseley 17

[gary]

Got back home from the game (just). The last 10 miles up the M5 were very tricky and included a nasty accident which we reported to the Police so first of all I hope all the supporters, players etc get home safely.

Now to the game. I'm afraid to say I think Kevin got it wrong today.

We had just begun to build up some confidence with wins over Jersey, Scottish and Gala and I think we should have kept this going by playing an unchanged, or almost unchanged, side today This was a strange team selection and I can only believe that Kevin wanted to rest some players with a view to the (very winnable) league game against Plymouth or to give some of his squad players a run. In any event apart from brief 10 minute spells at the beginning of each half this was a completely disjointed and seemingly unstructured team performance.

I believe our 'first team' could have won this game and in doing so could have further boosted our confidence. Instead this will not have done anyone any good.

I'd rather not talk about individuals. Only 2 or 3 came out of this game very well and to be honest it appeared that most of the team had little idea where their colleagues were going, what they were going to do when they got there and what to do when we lost the ball (which we did often in contact - I thought we had lost that bad habit).

Full marks to Llanelli. They fully deserved their win as they were far away the better team. Full of young dynamic players with an exciting back line. I was especially impressed with their 8,9 and 10. I can see quite a few of their players featuring in the Scarlets team in the future.

Kevin's decision to field this team will hopefully pay dividends in a win against Plymouth. If not it will have backfired badly.

Well done to all those who made the trip. A freezing cold day and a poor performance were not a great reward for our efforts in getting there.

By the way Andy Robinson and family were there to watch Ollie again. Nice.

[Gerald the Fish]

Totally agree Gary. I think every try they scored came pretty much directly from us making a mistake of one sort or another. Without that I don't think they'd have scored much from their own efforts. That said they played what was in front of them and capitalised when the opportunity was there. We didn't (well perhaps twice we did). Our tries were decent efforts but we just weren't there for anything like 80 mins. (again). Anyway onwards and upwards, bring on Plymouth, and lets restore some of that confidence we were building. Come On Moseley.

[philhall]

Why, oh why is it that when the team begin to play some decent rugby they go and chuck it all down the pan with another poor performance - and against 12 players for 20 minutes of the game, for heavens sake!! It just does not make sense. Is it the players, the team selection, the coaching, or all three. I have a funny feeling now that this thrashing - and by all accounts it was a thrashing; a thrashing that once again seems to stem from the lack of ability and / or a sustained defence strategy - will knock seven cans of fertiliser out of the confidence which was beginning to develop. It is another sad day for Moseley Rugby Club.

God forbid does it not tax the loyalty we supporters try to give to the players. I can't help but they should be fined their match (wages ?? ) and made to parade round the pitch in repentant sackcloth.

I am absolutely fuming Moseley. Talk about come on Mooooooooooooose. Rest assured Moseley, I'll come and watch you but you aint gonna get an olla out of me until you give me good cause - and when will that be? First game of the new season in the demoted league? Next Christmas? Next millennium? God only knows and he wont tell me, cos he hasn't told you lot yet.

I'm off to bed now. Some of us have responsible jobs to go to. Jobs where we have to perform, day in day out - not just once a week or when we feel like turning up.

[observer]

Birmingham Post's Report

www.birminghampost.net/midlands-birmingham-sport/west-midlands-sports/2013/01/20/british-and-irish-cup-llanelli-40-moseley-17-65233-32642778/

[ale]

Phil, it was a very disappointing performance and Brian sums it up well in his match report, what I don't get is that the starting xv are talked about as being second string selections, I'm not so sure it was that depleted and miles away from a development squad, at least half of them would genuinely argue they are first team candidates. Anyway, onwards and upwards, what we really need are league points.......

[Admin]

Right then after a good nights sleep, where to start the post-mortem... & that is exactly what it is. Before I have a whinge about the performance I must state that I understand the importance of next weeks clash at Plymouth Albion, however, surely the financial benefit of yesterdays game would have been a bonus?!?!?

Anyway onto the game, team selection looked worrying, they looked as though it was the first time playing together! Forwards were all over the place, although they did held theor own in the scrum for most of the game. There were a couple of solid individual performances, Olly Robinson probably the best of a bad bunch. Anthony Carter is not a centre, and we are really going to struggle without Charlie Hayter. Simon Hunt looked lost on the wing. Brad Davies looks so out of place in the squad. I could go on & on... but I wont.

I'm not to sure the Referee and touch judges knew why they were there with plenty of missed and unusual calls, both for and against us.

Maggs and Hilton must have sore necks this morning as I've never seen so much head shaking in one game.

Llanelli deserved their win, some good darting moves that made us make mistake after mistake.

Bottom line is we were not good enough in a game that had been promoted, in the media & from players etc, as a must win game. To simply not get off the coach was yet another away game I'll regret making. Although must say a massive thanks to Ken for driving us there.

[observer]

Llanelli website report (South Wales Evening Post)
www.llanellirugby.com/News/Article/23599

[CJB1]

Jan 21, 2013 8:04:34 GMT Admin said:

Anyway onto the game, team selection looked worrying, they looked as though it was the first time playing together! Forwards were all over the place, although they did held theor own in the scrum for most of the game. There were a couple of solid individual performances, Olly Robinson probably the best of a bad bunch. Anthony Carter is not a centre, and we are really going to struggle without Charlie Hayter. Simon Hunt looked lost on the wing. Brad Davies looks so out of place in the squad. I could go on & on... but I wont.

This has happened before in cup games, arbitrary changes resulting in a team that doesn't have any mutual familiarity and therefore falls apart easily. Remember the game at Cross Keys last year? That was an utter shambles, and it sounds like this was too.

I appreciate that Kevin doesn't value the cup as a competition, and I know there is a need to give second-stringers some game time, but surely this can be done from the bench rather than the opening whistle. Regardless of anything else, at the start of play yesterday we had built up a 5-point lead in the pool, and just needed one point to proceed further, or to restrict Llanelli to fewer than four tries. Our strongest XV would have done that, no sweat. The QFs aren't until April anyway, so the cup wouldn't be getting in the way of the League programme meantime.

And why did we start with neither of our strongest placekickers on the pitch (and one not even in the squad)? Brad Davies has never been a recognised kicker for us, and Simon Hunt, though he can kick, is clearly out of practice. It seemed to send a message that we weren't serious about the game, and that's a shame.

Ah well, on to Plymouth, where I'm sure the strongest available XV will start. Let's give Albion a going over, we really need that.

[Richie B]

First of all to say I didn't make the game Sunday so can't pass any judgement on the game itself or the performances of any individuals. However the comments of both Gary and Neil that the game was lost by selection echo my thoughts prior to the game.

Understand the team needs to be fresh for Plymouth but I think any gains here are far outweighed by the fact that we could have been going into the game on the back of three straight wins with all the confidence and positivity that brings. Also we could have been looking forward to a Cup quarter final and a much needed 10k in the bank. Instead we're off to Devon on the back of a hiding from a team we obviously underestimated.

Once the second try went in I was expecting imminent changes but they weren't made till the game was out of sight and one has to ask why?

As an aside I think we need to be looking externally for a replacement for Hayter. Saints have a really promising young 12 by the name of Tom Stephenson (captained England U18 last season) who'd be ideal. No A league games now so he's probably bored rigid.

[Westcountry Mose]

I am not a fan of the B&I Cup but I cannot help thinking that Sunday was a missed opportunity for the following: a) keeping a winning run going/building momentum; b) extra cash and; c) working on our defence - unless Llannelli fielded some of their 1st team we ought to have been capable of limiting them to less than three tries. However, if we beat Albion on Saturday it will be 'all sins forgiven' as far as I am concerned. The league has always been the priority. A word of warning - Albion will be a very tough nut to crack and are 'smarting' after their last B&I Cup defeat. See you all at Brickfields.

[Rich]

I have to say that going out of the B&I is probably a blessing; did we really need to travel to one of the top four for a hiding, with the risk of injury? Kevin said at the start that it was not a priority and was perhaps as surprised as everyone else that we were a game away from progressing. What would happen to confidence if we had played out 1st XV and still gone out - we could hardly use the whole "well it was only a second string team" defence.
For me the season is now all about the home games to Scottish and Donny with a good shout against Bristol; If we win two of those we will be ok.

[Rich]

oh, and NB Phil, you might want to check on the number of players when one is in the bin...

[Steve@Mose]

Mail: Mike Powell: ‘It was a performance I didn’t see coming.”

[watcher]

I must admit I do get a bit frustarted with people who have not even seen the game making negative comments.

I'm also disappointed that we didn't do better but not surprised - Llanelli has been a fortress this season and the home team has not lost there all season! Actuallly I didn't expect us to win and thought that the key loss for us was against Gala when we should have won it and the fifth point which Llanelli obtained against the same opponents the previous weekend. I also thought that the Llanelli team last week was very strong and well balanced. All Welsh teams are diffcult to beat on their sown turf and Llanelli had some good players who showed some typically deft moves to socre their tries.

I also took the time to speak with some of the playing management after the game and there are a few points to put this into perspective.

1. There was a need to give all players game time as we have been fortunate with injuries in some positions this season. Was Day for example not worthy of a start at some stage and Brown deserving of a rest?

2. There is an important game against Plymouth only six days after that match.

3. A different team had been selected from the previous winning ones but there was no opportunity for the players selected to train together. After selection, the match practice was scheduled for last Friday - and we all know about about the weather on that day! - so reluctantly it had to be cancelled. Yes some of the team played like strangers to one another and that was probably because they were!

I heard that there was a massive effort to clear the AWP of snow yesterday with about 20 people and three trucks involved. Conversely this week, we may be the only club which is able to hold training sessions and we may be better prepared than our opponents!

Yes I'm also pee'd off about losing the money last week but lets keep this all in pespective.