Post by Communications Team on Oct 3, 2018 17:11:27 GMT
Big Match Preview by Glyn Barlow
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Last weekend the team came close to securing their first away win of the season but unfortunately the game slipped away from them in the last quarter as Old Elthamians scored fourteen points to finish winners 38-27, denying Birmingham Moseley even a losing bonus point.
Attention must now turn to the visit of a Darlington Mowden Park team which just secured victory over Rosslyn Park 34-33 last weekend, via a 79th minute try from replacement wing Joshua Hall. The result saw the team finish September with a won 3 lost 2 record. Starting the season positively with wins over Bishop’s Stortford 23-26 and Rotherham Titans 42-19 the team faltered against Old Elthamians 32-22 and Blackheath 15-0.
Having finished 2017/18 in a convincing second place with only six losses all season you would forgive DMP for being a bit disappointed with their 60% success rate to date, certainly they have not yet replicated their form of last season. With a number of players on the injury list so far this month the coaching staff will be hoping for a few returnees to improve fortunes.
Last season Birmingham Moseley suffered a brace of defeats at the hands of the men from Durham. September saw a 17-31 defeat at home followed by a 42-7 loss in January.
During the summer months Darlington Mowden Park have drafted in a number of new players including Glasgow Warriors back row George Stokes, front row Charley Purkiss-McKendoo from Harrogate, Kiwi fly half Pera Gibbs, wing Ollie Walker and prop Tristan Grant from Tynedale, Cypriot international full back Chris Georgiou from REC Rennes in France’s Federale 1 league and hooker Jordon Poole from Yorkshire Carnegie.
It is a more established player, South African fly half Warren Seals who is currently leading the way on scoring points for the club via his goal kicking with the aforementioned Georgiou providing try scoring support. Darlington Mowden Park have demonstrated that they are not, however, a team reliant on one or two players to pick up tries with fourteen different players crossing the whitewash in the five games to date.
Turning attention to Birmingham Moseley, despite a better performance last Saturday than earlier in the month the team still conspired to throw away an opportunity to win. With a game being dominated up front in most phases by Moseley’s pack it is not unreasonable to have expected a win. Unfortunately the team were guilty again of making unforced errors which allowed the opposition to pull back and overhaul them.
This error count coupled with a lack of focus and intensity over the full game time has cost the team dearly so far this campaign. If this can be resolved, and it is a question of mind-set not physical condition etc, then we will see the results that are sorely needed come the team’s way.
Against Rotherham the previous week they played a pragmatic, sound tactical game, around forward strengths. This probably needs to be the approach adopted while the team irons out the error count and regains their confidence.
With a Darlington Mowden Park team also looking to find form this could be an ideal opportunity to get the show back on the road.
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Last weekend the team came close to securing their first away win of the season but unfortunately the game slipped away from them in the last quarter as Old Elthamians scored fourteen points to finish winners 38-27, denying Birmingham Moseley even a losing bonus point.
Attention must now turn to the visit of a Darlington Mowden Park team which just secured victory over Rosslyn Park 34-33 last weekend, via a 79th minute try from replacement wing Joshua Hall. The result saw the team finish September with a won 3 lost 2 record. Starting the season positively with wins over Bishop’s Stortford 23-26 and Rotherham Titans 42-19 the team faltered against Old Elthamians 32-22 and Blackheath 15-0.
Having finished 2017/18 in a convincing second place with only six losses all season you would forgive DMP for being a bit disappointed with their 60% success rate to date, certainly they have not yet replicated their form of last season. With a number of players on the injury list so far this month the coaching staff will be hoping for a few returnees to improve fortunes.
Last season Birmingham Moseley suffered a brace of defeats at the hands of the men from Durham. September saw a 17-31 defeat at home followed by a 42-7 loss in January.
During the summer months Darlington Mowden Park have drafted in a number of new players including Glasgow Warriors back row George Stokes, front row Charley Purkiss-McKendoo from Harrogate, Kiwi fly half Pera Gibbs, wing Ollie Walker and prop Tristan Grant from Tynedale, Cypriot international full back Chris Georgiou from REC Rennes in France’s Federale 1 league and hooker Jordon Poole from Yorkshire Carnegie.
It is a more established player, South African fly half Warren Seals who is currently leading the way on scoring points for the club via his goal kicking with the aforementioned Georgiou providing try scoring support. Darlington Mowden Park have demonstrated that they are not, however, a team reliant on one or two players to pick up tries with fourteen different players crossing the whitewash in the five games to date.
Turning attention to Birmingham Moseley, despite a better performance last Saturday than earlier in the month the team still conspired to throw away an opportunity to win. With a game being dominated up front in most phases by Moseley’s pack it is not unreasonable to have expected a win. Unfortunately the team were guilty again of making unforced errors which allowed the opposition to pull back and overhaul them.
This error count coupled with a lack of focus and intensity over the full game time has cost the team dearly so far this campaign. If this can be resolved, and it is a question of mind-set not physical condition etc, then we will see the results that are sorely needed come the team’s way.
Against Rotherham the previous week they played a pragmatic, sound tactical game, around forward strengths. This probably needs to be the approach adopted while the team irons out the error count and regains their confidence.
With a Darlington Mowden Park team also looking to find form this could be an ideal opportunity to get the show back on the road.