Post by Phil on Dec 1, 2022 10:10:22 GMT
Big Match Preview - BMRC v Plymouth Albion
Chris Bertram urges level heads all round
One that got away. That will be the conclusion of the players and coaches after another match went down to the last play of the game, this time with Birmingham Moseley being deprived of victory as the final score was a 21-all draw with a Leeds Tykes side long on endeavour if a little shorter on skill. The first half had seen Leeds play the breezy conditions well, going in 9-5 ahead, but Moseley had seemed to come back out firing, quickly taking the lead and then extending it via a gem of a chip over the defence from Ollie Stedman for Dan Lewis to gather and touch down (hang on, isn’t it supposed to be the other way round?) But then Moseley seemed rather to take their foot off the gas, kicking penalties for goal rather than into the corner, and Leeds came back into the game, earning the draw after a sustained period of pressure on the Moseley line.
After the superb victory over Cambridge, this was something of a comedown, and there will no doubt have been discussions concerning game management and discipline, with far too many penalties being given away. This will be crucial against this week’s opponents, Plymouth Albion, a team that we have played many times over the years. Although only founded in 1920, both the predecessor clubs (Plymouth RFC and Devenport Albion) were founded in 1876, so their history is almost as long as our own. They have played at the well-appointed Brickfields ground since 2003.
Plymouth are currently sitting in seventh place in the league, two wins and ten points ahead of us, having proved adept at gathering try bonus points even when losing, and managing a victory over high-flying Rosslyn Park last week. Try-scoring threats come from 19-year-old hooker Harry Wilkinson, who bagged four in their victory over Esher among his thirteen to date, and wing/full-back Alexander Ducker with seven so far. Expect lots of action up front from this team, and Moseley’s pack will have to be on their mettle to get the better of Plymouth’s unit. However, the last meeting between these two sides at Billesley resulted in Moseley winning 45-28, a result that we would no doubt take in an instant!
Regardless of past records, Moseley will be looking for a performance more like that against Cambridge than the subdued showing at Leeds. Level heads will be the order of the day; play the percentages, listen to the ref, have regard for the conditions, and look after the ball. And keep the penalties down. If we can do all of these, our attacking threats can do the job for us. Aquile Smith and Sam Pointon can outpace most defenders, Dan Lewis can be relied on to slot most kicks over, and as we saw last week even the most unlikely players such as Ollie Stedman can be found to have a kicking game to add another dimension to our tactics.
Our home form this season has been good, and we should continue to try to build Fortress Billesley. Plymouth are a team that we need to measure ourselves against, and the passionate home crowd will be urging the Moseley boys to do what they do best and fight to the end whether in a losing or (we hope) winning cause. Be there and help drive the team to victory, by cheering them on at every turn.
Come on Moseley!
Chris Bertram urges level heads all round
One that got away. That will be the conclusion of the players and coaches after another match went down to the last play of the game, this time with Birmingham Moseley being deprived of victory as the final score was a 21-all draw with a Leeds Tykes side long on endeavour if a little shorter on skill. The first half had seen Leeds play the breezy conditions well, going in 9-5 ahead, but Moseley had seemed to come back out firing, quickly taking the lead and then extending it via a gem of a chip over the defence from Ollie Stedman for Dan Lewis to gather and touch down (hang on, isn’t it supposed to be the other way round?) But then Moseley seemed rather to take their foot off the gas, kicking penalties for goal rather than into the corner, and Leeds came back into the game, earning the draw after a sustained period of pressure on the Moseley line.
After the superb victory over Cambridge, this was something of a comedown, and there will no doubt have been discussions concerning game management and discipline, with far too many penalties being given away. This will be crucial against this week’s opponents, Plymouth Albion, a team that we have played many times over the years. Although only founded in 1920, both the predecessor clubs (Plymouth RFC and Devenport Albion) were founded in 1876, so their history is almost as long as our own. They have played at the well-appointed Brickfields ground since 2003.
Plymouth are currently sitting in seventh place in the league, two wins and ten points ahead of us, having proved adept at gathering try bonus points even when losing, and managing a victory over high-flying Rosslyn Park last week. Try-scoring threats come from 19-year-old hooker Harry Wilkinson, who bagged four in their victory over Esher among his thirteen to date, and wing/full-back Alexander Ducker with seven so far. Expect lots of action up front from this team, and Moseley’s pack will have to be on their mettle to get the better of Plymouth’s unit. However, the last meeting between these two sides at Billesley resulted in Moseley winning 45-28, a result that we would no doubt take in an instant!
Regardless of past records, Moseley will be looking for a performance more like that against Cambridge than the subdued showing at Leeds. Level heads will be the order of the day; play the percentages, listen to the ref, have regard for the conditions, and look after the ball. And keep the penalties down. If we can do all of these, our attacking threats can do the job for us. Aquile Smith and Sam Pointon can outpace most defenders, Dan Lewis can be relied on to slot most kicks over, and as we saw last week even the most unlikely players such as Ollie Stedman can be found to have a kicking game to add another dimension to our tactics.
Our home form this season has been good, and we should continue to try to build Fortress Billesley. Plymouth are a team that we need to measure ourselves against, and the passionate home crowd will be urging the Moseley boys to do what they do best and fight to the end whether in a losing or (we hope) winning cause. Be there and help drive the team to victory, by cheering them on at every turn.
Come on Moseley!
