Moseley ran out of steam in the 2nd half, Newcastle didn't. They were a much stronger and fitter side. Line out still needs a lot of work. Nobody disgraced themselves. Come on you Mooooose.
A full time side against a part time side. Probably a side that will finish in the bottom half of the Premiership next year against a team that is currently third from bottom of the championship. I am afraid that our squad depth without Waller, Powell, Pienar and Pons starting in the scrum was found wanting. With them I don't think we would have won but it would have closer.
Could not fault anyone for effort but unfortunately because of their forward supremacy our backs got no chance to show what they could do. I'm sure our backs would have loved to play behind the Newcasle forwards!
Full marks to Newcasle. Very impressive, well organised and very savvy in the 'spoiling' arts of the game. They did not need the referee's generosity.
I think we just need to accept that we can compete against most teams but that Newcastle with their parachute payment, full time, international squad are just a step too far for us at the moment. Having said that a great experience for our younger lads.
Post by welshexile1963 on Oct 6, 2012 19:29:00 GMT
The boys worked hard and couldnt give any more so fair play, but we need to sort out handling errors and giving away penalties, but the boys have nothing to be ashamed about.
None of us surely thought we would take anything out of this game against a club with a £3m budget, a full time big playing squad including many internationals, yes they will win the Championship without breaking too much sweat, a bit like Saints. But let us not lose focus, we are hugely competitive so far and will grow into a very moulded squad in the 2nd half of the season providing we avoid major injuries. If only Maggs had 750k with his present squad to take them full time......
We were always going to be up against a much stronger side from the off. The gulf in class between a team heading back to the premiership and a team playing to stay in this league was clearly evident today. However, we tried to compete against much stronger pack and spent most of the match on the back foot, and only got near their line once when we drove over to score. Nevertheless, we won't meet a team like Newcastle every week and I am sure our 1st home can't be far away.
Nice sunny day, nice atmosphere, better things to come.
Agree with all of the comments above. I thought our level of intensity, tackling, commitment, skill, and teamwork was as good as I've ever seen. Play like that for the rest of the season, and we'll be a force to be reckoned with. :-)
I thought our work rate, commitment and tackling was second to none yesterday! My standout performances were Voisey, Ollie Robinson, Neil Mason and Ollie Thomas. I thought some players looked a bit tired like Lockley and Brown. They've gave it everything the past few weeks and it takes its toll. This is where the coaches need to recognise it and rotate accordingly. Bench had a good impact AGAIN yesterday! Looking forward to B and I next week! Comeee on Mosseeee
In the past, I've avoided the 'big' games as the differential between the teams makes the games less enjoyable.
But to be just 6-13 down after 38 minutes yesterday was a notable achievement and reward for the commitment shown in defence (not a strong point of previous seasons) ... and against a team which came close to retaining its Premiership status at the end of last season.
My two penn'orth - the team we faced on Saturday were:
1) Bigger all round, but especially in the pack; 2) Full-time rugby players, against our part-timers; 3) Better-drilled, as a consequence of (2), they will train five days a week as opposed to our three much shorter sessions; 4) More skilful overall, but that is amplified by (3). If our players had the same training regime as theirs, the gap would be much, much slimmer; 5) Much more experienced. Remember that we have a very young squad, some as young as 20. If it looked like men v boys at the very end, when our team, which had chased and chased all day, were running out of steam, then that is the reason. That it looked a lot more even for so much of the game is a tribute both to the tenacity of the team, and to the coaching they get from Maggsy and Hilts.
They'll watch the video on Tuesday night and perhaps feel a bit down at the final score, but they shouldn't be ashamed of anything. That was a squad of near-enough Premiership quality, and not so long ago it would have been 40+ to nil at half time.
Other bits - Newcastle found out very early the way to get through us - at the set scrum, which they milked all afternoon for penalties. Not sure whether they shouldn't have been free-kicked for early engagement a couple of times - they did like to go at the "S" of the "set". But that's a minor quibble. Were we resting one too many players, or just suffering from the injury list? It might have helped to have Pienaar on from the start, and bring Burrows on as a rep rather than the other way round.
Tackling - there were many brave deeds done on Saturday, and overall our defensive line is holding up a lot better than last year. It speaks volumes that most of the Falcons' scoring was down to their pack and the rolling maul that we had no answer to. One thing I notice is that their players make really determined efforts either not to go down when tackled, or to still push forward four or five metres before they do go down. It's not something our players do so well. I guess this is down to how much training time is available, and to prioritisation, but they continued to gain ground this way, while we had to work much harder for the same gains.
Line-out - still improving, and I can only remember a couple of losses. Ref only seemed to call not straight when we threw in, and when Falcons were throwing was stood in a positiion where he couldn't really see. A bit odd.
So, slightly disappointed with the score, but not too downhearted. Doncaster are up next in the league, and we need to treat that as a must-win to put daylight between us and the bottom 2.
Also note that Bristol and Pirates are still stuttering. There's a lot still to play for.
Interesting that based upon Newcastle's performance their local reporter believes that this was sufficient evidence to abolish promotion and relegation and proof that Newcastle will return to the premiership untroubled. It will be interesting to see what happens at the end of the season, where Bristol and Leeds have come unstuck so far. For me, it really underlines how anti-competative the parachute payment is to our league.
The last sentence or your post, pricej, sums the situation up perfectly.
'What true value is actually offered by promotion and relegation?' was the quote in the Journal article and sums up the arrogance of the journalist who clearly and/or deliberately fails to see the unjustness of the system and the effect it has on a match such as the one on Saturday.
As long as the powers that be allow this system to perpetuate apart from the odd blip the yo yo effect and unequal contests will continue.
Apart from Newcastle it looks like a very competitive league. Let's enjoy the other games.
I read Mark Smiths report and a more bigoted, one sided, incompetent, arrogant report I have yet to see. Clearly he needs some lessons from our own Brian Dick who has the ability to make a factual, balanced report identifying strengths and weaknesses with either a good, solid win or a poor one sided thrashing.
With regard to Moseley and Newcastle last Saturday it wasn't a thrashing - I wasn't there to see the game in person - but based on the evidence I saw on the short "youtube" action video Moseley put up a bloody good show. As has been said they simply ran out of steam. Mark Smith also commented that Newcastle need only to "turn up" to win. I hope he lives to eat those words at some point. He also chose to ridicule our beloved Moseley history and I found that most offensive and unforgivable.
Newcastle - I have watched Moseley play against Newcastle - Gosport as they were known - on many an occasion at Gosport ( where the club house was a good sprinters jog away from the pitch and if it rained you got soaked going from the club house to the pitch before the game and just as wet going back again after the game ) and Newcastle do NOT have a good record against us. From memory, of the last 8 or 10 times they have met each other Moseley have only lost twice. I do not recall Moseley ever, ever saying or even thinking that they only had to turn up to win. That would be fatal - witness Aspatria in a cup match - and I hope that one of the championship teams make Mark Smith eat his words, sooner than later.
I have written to Mark Smith telling him in a blunt Yorkshire style what he can do with his bigoted, arrogant style of journalism. However, I rather suspect his skin is too thick to adsorb constructive criticism but at least I have had a go at him.
I will be there on Saturday so come on Mooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooose.
I am almost inclined to agree with the question - 'what's the point of relegation?' - and ask the question slightly differently.
What's the point of promotion? Exeter and London Welsh give a very smart answer to that as do those who benefited from relegation before them - Northampton and Harlequins.
Relegation should be something to fear - as Mose have done every season except two in the last dozen years or so. So, this may be a stroll on the common for now, but as a previous poster stated - just wait until those play-offs!
Post by Westcountry Mose on Oct 8, 2012 20:33:06 GMT
Why wait until the end of the season before 'pulling up the Premier drawbridge'? Oh, Sale or Wasps might come down and then another 'period of grace' would be upon us!
Did anybody else notice that the Falcons still had the QBE logo on the back of their shirts on saturday? QBE Rugby I believe are a main sponsor to the AP and England, and all AP teams have this on the back of their shirts. Can't see QBE as a club sponsor on the Falcons site. Methinks that the Championship logo on the sleeves of their shirts was only a temporary sticker covering up the AP logo?
Moseley ran out of steam in the 2nd half, Newcastle didn't. They were a much stronger and fitter side. Line out still needs a lot of work. Nobody disgraced themselves. 
