Tom Benjamin came off last week against Chinnor so assume he is injured. Can I also assume that Levi Davis and Ed Drake-Lee are also injured as neither have featured so far this season?
Sadly Pam and I wont be able to get to the Cambridge game in person but we will be glued to the twitter reports, have no fear about that folks. So, come on Moooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooose
I was not at the game so will bite my tongue and reserve my thoughts until more information is available, but first impressions are that I am not at all impressed.
Well again I didn't expect that . Plenty of mistakes penalties etc. The old line of the lads are great , working hard may well be true but on this result definitely looking like the bottom half or even quarter of the league. I had alot of hope this season but on today's result I'm prepared for the worst
Cambridge made the most of the conditions during the first half and we didn't. There were a number of handling errors and we probably could have kept it up the jumper a bit given the rain but we couldn't deal with the driving maul and we didn't get any help from the officials. A deserved loss, maybe not by that margin, we'll go again next week. We're not the finished article yet, give us a few weeks and we'll see where we're at
Well that was my worst rugby experience for a while and I am struggling to find anything positive other than perhaps the efforts that were made by Mose right to the death (albeit pretty well fruitless).
First half Cambs had the strong wind at their backs and only a penalty to show for their efforts in the first 15 minutes or so. They knocked on numerous times and had they not done so this would have been 50+.
Inexplicably, despite the fierce wind we repeatedly did box kicks off the back of the break down and gave possession away too easily. Cambs had a few penalties to the corner and punished us with a well drilled pack and pushover tries, one leading to a yellow card for our hooker.
Other notable event in the first half was a yellow card to a Cambs front row for what he was told was a forearm to the head in a tackle/breakdown (spotted by touch judge).
I don't think we had any possession in the Cambs 22 all half. Half ended with a defensive 5m line out, which we threw over our whole line to the grateful Cambs player who bustled over. Awful. The line out was all day.
Second half we looked desperate. A couple of early penalties were taken quickly and ultimately squandered. Our line out was so poor we even opted for a scrum when given a penalty between the 22 and 10 metre lines rather than kick to the corner. I think we lost the scrum too...
Lots of phases to us in the final 15 minutes with one consolation try under the sticks. Second half score 7-7.
Cambridge well worth the win. Although their first of the season, they had previously run some good teams very close so this was perhaps not the surprise it looks on paper.
Overall we seemed to lack obvious leadership on the pitch and didn't adapt to the conditions. Lots to work on.
Rich's views on the match at Cambridge yesterday was in total contrast to my expectations following last weeks exciting second half revival against Chinnor. A very sad and sombre reading. The fact that once again the Moseley line-out was so unreliable merely served to illustrate an ongoing problem which isn't going to be a quick fix. Had Moseley played well but lost - there is no shame in an honourable defeat - the defeat would still been sorely felt by both players and supporters. However, from all reports they did not play at all well, which compounds the disappointment of losing.
In the main the Moseley scrum, marginally more reliable than the line-out, still lacks consistency. Again it is not going to be a quick fix even though, at times, they do get their act together, hold steady and even put in some good, disruptive shoves. But that appears to be the exception rather than the rule as the first scrum against DMP on 4th September spectacularly demonstrated. And last week it was only after the Chinnor loose head prop, Soane Tonga'uiha was replaced at half week that the Moseley pack began to achieve some parity and gradually clawed back Chinnor's half time, try bonus advantage. They were not rampantly dominant in the second half but more than held their own. Indeed for the last five minutes, when the Moseley pack were giving Chinnor some problems 'up front' - too late unfortunately - I saw a concerned Tonga'uiah pacing up and down the line itching to get back on. Cambridge yesterday earned their try bonus, primarily through forward power 'up front' it seems, well before half time which is another worrying trend.
In looking at Moseley going forwards though what might / should / can they do to put things right?
For a start they have honest commitment, spades of it. With the odd exception they also seem to be reasonably fit. They also have some excellent individual skills, predominantly in the three-quarters. They also have more than a fair sprinkling of youthful talent throughout the squad. What seems, to me, to be lacking though is technical nous; the nitty, gritty, stubborn, cussed nous - particularly up front - that only comes with years of experience and playing against good, even more experienced opposition - the likes of Soane Tonga'uiha for example .
I know we supporters are always willing the lads on to win - sometimes more urgently than others. It will come, but it will take time and not a little effort and good fortune. But we supporters must also play their part in allowing the team time to develop and gel together. I know it is not happening as quick as some, including me, would like. I know many of us feel utterly dejected when the lads lose, particularly when they play badly and lose, I certainly do. I even feel dejected if the lads play badly but win because that makes the win seem 'hollow' and worthless. But we must continue supporting the lads through thick and thin and even in the darkest, most miserable moments - and there are bound to be one or two of those to come yet - we must maintain the Dunkerque spirit, as it were and 'be there next week' to cheer the lads on. I know I will. I might moan and grumble in the process but, when push comes to shove, I will be there.
My early observations so far this season suggest a preponderance of National one teams are set on relying on a heavy, well drilled pack as their foundation for success. And of course if a heavy, energy sapping, well supported pick and drive pack can keep the opposition occupied into a tight, forwards dominated exchange the attacking team will be on the front foot. And they also succeed in drawing in the mid-field defence as well, then even a moderate three-quarter line will shine and have ample opportunities to make clean breaks, create overlaps and score at leisure. Just think what damage the Moseley three quarters could do if the Mossley pack were on the front foot for long periods.
Moseley can and will get better. I know they can and will. Unfortunately, all too often little handling mistakes cost them gaining momentum at critical moments, the cosh comes out and they find themselves rueing the moment and / or back peddling to where they started from. Take the last maul drive for the line against Chinnor when a slight knock on, somewhere 'up front' in the maul, scuppered a chance to secure a draw. What a blow. What a cruel blow after all that effort. And penalties seem to be a developing Achilles heel in the making with 'holding on', to me, the most contentious of any.
I'll be there next Saturday, have no fear. I will have flogged my deepest disappointment at yesterday's loss into abject submission by then so, Tonbridge Juddlians, don't come to Moseley expecting us to lie down and have our tummies tickled - you just might be disappointed.
Come on Moooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooose
Phil, You are spot on when you say that sides are relying on heavy well drilled packs. I would guess that there is also a reliance on more experienced players. For me it is the line out that is really letting us down and we need to solve this area as a matter of priority. We lose the initiative on far too many occasions by butchering our line out or going for something elaborate, as we did on Saturday, when a simple throw to the middle of the line would have been the much better option. We have a squad of 46 but do we really have the strength in depth in all areas?
Did Ashley Johnson come on at Hooker? Lineout no better?
I was worried when Ryan Roche got injured. He appears to keep the line-out working well.
It is so crippling when not working, as obviously opponents don't mind lashing ball out, knowing they will win it anyway.
I mentioned last week: - not enough quick tap pens - too many pointless/poor box kicks (confirmed again yesterday) Now - when line-out not working, why not shorten line & throw long out back?
Think we need experience in the forwards in the starting line -up rather than coming off the bench in the current circumstances. Ashley, Jacques, James if fit as we have a very inexperienced pack and to give us some leadership. Then bring on the youngsters ... but what do I know?
Century for points against! We seem to be learning the hard way!? 2nd half to us last week, draw this week.
I think an average of conceding 20 pts against per game is acceptable provided we are scoring more at the other end. Much more than that becomes problematic.
