Tough match, although Tonbridge never really threatened bar their one one score. I think the score flattered us with the 3 scores in the last 10 minutes but the bonus point is very welcome!
Post by kingsheathlad on Feb 13, 2022 10:33:30 GMT
I don't mind if it flatered us, a win, a bonus point and margin to reduce our points difference. Roll on to Plymouth, could be a tight game and they bring good support. Come on Mose.......
Description of our tries from Tonbridge Twitter feed:
1st try "Missed tackle in the middle of the park and Birmingham are in under the posts" 2nd try "Birmingham splinter TJs up the middle with strong carries. Great phase play and they are in under the posts" 3rd try "Birmingham put it to bed with a lovely offload from the centre. Great finish from the No 8..." 4th try "Birmingham intercept and they're in again ! Great read...." 5th try "Birmingham break from the kick-off. TJs falling off tackles then it's a beautiful cross field kick that puts them in for another try !"
Can't remember reading an opposition account that was so complimentary to Mose (even if he did keep calling us Birmingham !).
Bamber Challenge....Our notable historians tell us on these pages that we had a running winning sequence of 13 games in 2006 Jan to April...so it would seem that would include about 6 away. So as of today we are about half way to beating that record...something to look forward to in the warmer days!
Well folks you have probably read other reports so here's mine. On a beautiful, bright sunny day at Tonbridge with hardly a cloud in the sky and a moderate, but lazy breeze chilling the inner soul Moseley won 16 - 39 picking up the relative novelty of a try bonus in the process. TJ play on a park pitch, well away from the club house and with just a rail to lean on - that was new this season so I was told - I was well out of my elevated comfort zone. It reminded me of the Newcastle Gosforth Rugby Club days of yore up North.
But did Moseley deserve to win because it was, in the main, yet another game where the Moseley stars struggled to twinkle more than 'tuther side. Indeed with only a slender 4 point cushion at 15 mins to go I felt decidedly uncomfortable.
I sensed that the Moseley game plan was to try and create width and play off their strong running number 12, whoever he was and it seemed to be working to some degree as his direct line and ability to break tackles made him a handful for the TJ defence.
Although TJ are rooted at the bottom of the table their playin style did not reflect that position. THey attacked with confidence. made some good well supported breaks, defended with tenacity and soon kicked into touch any thought of an easy 4 or even 5 point win for Moseley. The big TJ pack played well throughout the game and matched Moseley pack man for man. Indeed in the last 5 minutes with the game already lost they spectacularly shunted the Moseley pack off their own put in. But TJ defended well and were 6-0 in front until Moseley scored their first converted try with moments of the first half to go after TJ got a yellow card.
The frist half had been typically Moseley. Lots of running into traffic, more than the odd unsupported break and missed overlaps. Tom Benjamin had a cracking game, often skinning a few defenders before being surrounded. He made one superb break in the first half, was out on his own but without a single player close enough to support him an almost certain try went begging. Just when will Moseley learn to support? Aquile Smith also gave TJ some problems and I felt he was robbed of a score when he was subtly body checked following up a chip into clear space. The score was 6-7 at half time.
Tj opened the score just after the second half started with a superb break by a second row off the end of a lne out and under the post he went. Well done. I thought TJ had the stronger line-out catch and drive but for some reason didn't play to it. Moseley, by contrast, appeared to play off the line-out with back row play through the centre rather than catch and drive through the line-out.
With less than 15 minutes to go and only 4 points advantage a Moseley win was looking decidedly fragile - so fragile I even thought of returning to the club house. But then utter chaos in the TJ ranks as Sam Pointon intercepted a pass and was under the post. Such joy, such wonderful joy. Soon after Moseley scored try number 3. The Moseley supporters were cheering like mad now - and not before time. But that was not it, oh no.
Withing 5 minutes or so Seb Nagle-Taylor broke clean through and dotted down to the left of the post for try number 4 and 6 or so minutes later came try number 5. Phew. Moseley supporters could finaly relax. Talk about the luck of the bounce.
But did Moseley deserve to win? The score said they did and on balance perhaps they did - but I will hold my breath until I see how they perform against Plymouth on Saturday and Leeds next week. If those score go in favour of Moseley then and only then, can we supporters begin to feel just a little more comfortable.
Come on Moooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooose.......ley.
