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2ND XV PHOTOS & REPORTS

The "Strags" in pre-season action against Nottingham

Contributions of pictures from supporters are especially welcome.

Stourbridge 2ndXV 8 Moseley 2nd/Dev 26 - April 1st 2006

With Nuneaton letting us down late in the week thankfully good local friends Stourbridge stepped into the breach with the offer of a fixture at sunny (not!!) Stourton. Even though the pitch was ankle deep in mud in parts a fairly entertaining feast was presented by two fairly well matched sides on the day.

The excellent news that strags hooker Craig Lea was required on the 1's bench meant that the 2's entered the game with no recognised hooker and the lineout was a bit of a lottery with Tommy Warren being roped in as the replacement thrower. So no lineout then! Stourbridge fielded a strong tight five with two good Loughborough student props, Alan Hubbleday at hooker and Nick Tisdale and ex Moseley player Manny Samra in the row. So disrupted scrum ball then!

What resulted was an entertaining game with Stourbridge having a lot of 1st phase possession which they used in narrow channels in a good display of power play, and Moseley running every possession they had with enterprise and skill in the wider areas and trying to avoid getting bogged down (literally!!). The contrasting styles were making for a fairly even game until a sharp break from a turnover ball in Moseley's 22 by David Hunt saw Tommy Warren win a foot chase from the half way line for a score.

Ex Moseley-juniors player Paul Bailey-Green, making his debut for the strags at outside centre, then scored a nice try under the posts. Both were converted by Chris Buck. Half time - Stourbridge 0 Moseley 14. Injuries to Tommy Warren and scrum half Dan Hunter meant further team adjustment and Stourbridge came into the game strongly putting Moseley under severe pressure, but their defence, in which Paul Cox was outstanding, stood strong.

Moseley went further ahead when Rhydian Smith scampered in from 10m before Stourbridge got some just rewards for their set-piece supremacy with a penalty and unconverted try in the last quarter. Moseley however were not yet finished, and good fitness levels ensured a strong end to the game with Chris Buck scoring a lovely 'show and go' try under the posts, again converted by himself.

The game afforded the opportunity for a number of 'fringe' players to get 80 minutes of good hard competitive rugby and thanks to Stourbridge for coming up trumps with the fixture.

Nottingham 2ndXV 5 Moseley 2nd/Dev 24 - March 25th 2006

Having had to disappoint Nottingham last week at the 11th hour when 5 of our players went down with a bug on Friday evening it was a pleasure to assist them this week when they rang up on the off chance for a game after their opposition cried off. They said they could really do with a game not having played for a month, and by golly they got one!

The game was played as a curtain raiser before their National 1 clash with Newbury and was a well contested affair with two quality back lines competing well but with the difference being in the power of the Moseley forwards. Nottingham's pack struggled at the set piece and were completely dominated in the maul. Driven mauls of 15 to 30 metres were the order of the day which created a stream of good possession for the Moseley backs which they generally used well. Nottingham's backline, especially the back three, defended very well, and limited Moseley's scoring opportunities, but the pressure eventually told and Aaron Higgins ran in a well worked try from full back converted by Jon Critchlow. Moseley's forwards continued the pressure and penalties were conceded to halt the driving mauls. From one such source Moseley's second try was scored by prop Rob Sigley from a driven lineout. Half time - Nottingham 0 Moseley 12.

The second half continued in much the same vein with Moseley's forwards driving powerfully and Nottingham defending manfully and playing well on the counter. From one such counter attack Nottingham scored a well deserved try wide out on their right before Moseley once again restored their points advantage with a second try from Aaron, this time off the right wing, and another driven lineout which hooker Craig Lea dotted down for his first try for Moseley.

A very efficient performance from a strong experienced Moseley squad with good contributions from the youngsters. Props Gareth Davies and Rhyddian Smith, flanker Sam Webb, centre Phil Reynolds and fullback/winger Aaron Higgins, all colts last year, did well when brought on. Aaron, who started the match, is showing tremendous pace and invention and is a good long term prospect. He has scored 5 try's in 8 games which is excellent in it's own right, but when you take into consideration that he has only played about 200 minutes in those games, his strike rate is outstanding.

Stourbridge 2ndXV 7 Moseley 2nd/Dev 24 - March 11th 2006

No favours were sought and none given in this typically tough encounter at Stourton.

A strong Moseley squad were assembled for this late arranged game with Ben Buxton gaining some game time following his recent disciplinary set back, Tom Macintosh getting a 40 minute run after filling the 1's bench requirements for the last few weeks and David Hunt continuing his excellent progress from injury. Stourbridge also fielded a strong side with Nick Tisdale leading an uncompromising pack of forwards that included recent Moseley players Manny Samra, Simon Homer and John Taylor. The only unfortunate thing was that the referee, whilst doing his best, was out of his depth for a match of this intensity.

Moseley started very brightly with a lot of possession that was well retained over numerous phases of play and were playing at a pace that Stourbridge were struggling to cope with. Tries quickly followed and Alex Hadley barged over from short distance wide out on the left following good approach work from both backs and forwards for a try that was well converted from the touchline by Jon Critchlow. More of the same followed with Moseley running the ball well and Stourbridge struggling to gain any sort of possession. Andy Gray finished off a fine backs move for a second try, and then David Hunt finished off a fine try following excellent support work that was again converted by Jon Critchlow, and all this in the first 15 minutes.

Stourbridge finally managed to get some possession and their experience started to show as they slowed the game down to a level at which they could be effective. Moseley had to defend well on a number of occasions to keep the home side off the score sheet but the breakdown areas were becoming a lottery as the referee guessed (wrongly mostly) who was slowing the ball down, and frustrations and team discipline faltered in the Moseley ranks allowing Stourbridge more and more into the game. Following Rob Sigley's sinbinning the Stourbridge forwards set up excellent driving plays from which their prop deservedly drove over close to Moseley's uprights for a try just before the half time break. Half time - Stourbridge 7 Moseley 19.

The second half was only a minute old when the referee again saw fit to bin a Moseley player for an offence on the ground - Charlie Daniell was the unfortunate recipient, and thus Moseley had to endure a period of the game with only 13 players on the park. Well worked defence and fine individual tackling of the powerful Stourbridge runners saw Moseley survive that period and, when restored to a full compliment they again showed a flash of what they were capable of when hooker Craig Lea made a quick 35m dash down the left touchline and offloaded excellently to David Hunt to score his second try.

The final quarter of the match was a niggly affair with frustrations from both sets of players ensuring that the game as a spectacle was effectively over. No further scores were posted and a game that started on a very bright note ended disappointingly.

Plus points were that Tommy Mac got some vital game time and David Hunt continues to show that he deserves to be involved at 1st team level, Charlie Daniell, Paul Cox and Andy Gray continue to push their claims, Jon Critchlow is showing promise and Craig Lee at hooker and Alex Hadley and Ben Blackwall in the row are providing some real grunt in the pack. The 1st team squad is developing real depth and that can only be a good thing for the club.

Bedford 2ndXV 38 Moseley 2ndXV 10

This match was a huge disappointment after the tremendous result at Leicester on Monday evening. The squad was very similar to that chosen to play against the Tigers but they just didn't perform on the day.

Bedford were a very good side with an excellent mix of pace and power and well deserved their comprehensive victory. Playing at full capacity Moseley may well have struggled to achieve a good result but the players were really disappointed that they didn’t make the Blues work harder for it. No excuses, just a bad day at the office!

On a positive note, David Hunt continues to make excellent progress back from his injury lay off, and is very close to a 1stXV squad return. Tommy Warren also continues to gain valuable match practice though he was a little off the pace today due to a touch of flu.

Alex Hadley in his second game back from a stress fracture in his foot looked sharp and hungry for work. Craig Lea, a recent recruit from junior club Birmingham Civil Service, is working very hard and is starting to make an impression, as are youngsters Jon Critchlow, Sam Webb, Phil Reynolds and Aaron Higgins. Aaron was the scorer of today's only try, converted by Jon Critchlow.

The strags have a week off next week before getting back to business with a trip to DK.

Leicester Tigers Development 17 Moseley 2nd/Dev 25 - February 07 2006

Leicester 17-25 Moseley, fantastic result for the boys at Welford Road. Two tries from Paul Cox, 1 from Alastair Bressington, who also got a last minute penalty to seal the game from inside his own half. Excellent defence and plenty of turnovers. Hunt had a great game with Charlie Daniel upfront & Tommy Warren cancelled out their no7, who has 1st team gametime. Good movement behind the scrum & we played really good rugby. The crowd was just under 2000, definitely worth watching.

read Leicester's account, Here

Moseley 2nd/Dev 67 Old Patesians 0 - January 28th 2006

The Strags got back into action this week with a game against a weakened Old Pats opposition, and the score didn't really reflect the game. Moseley had to work hard at times against a tough set of Old Pats forwards and the scores were racked up later in the game as the opposition tired.

That having been said it is to the credit of the players that they managed to maintain their focus and shape in a game that disintegrated towards the final whistle. The Old Pats supporters (and there were a few!) should be proud of how their players stuck to the task and there was no dishonour in finally succumbing to what was a powerful Moseley squad.

The strags will next be performing at Welford Road a week on Monday against what should be a strong Leicester Development side, and today's game was an opportunity to play some expansive rugby prior to that event.

Good performances throughout the side with special mentions to David Hunt who continues to make excellent progress from injury and scored three fine try's on the day. Charlie Daniell and Ben Blackwall were also very prominent in the forwards and it was especially pleasing to see prop Roy Davies, also returning from a serious injury, in such good form.

In the backs Dan Hunter continues to nip at Gareth Taylor's heels and Andy Gray was once more majestic. Younger players doing well were Sam Webb in the back row, Jon Critchlow at stand off and Phil Reynolds in the centre.

There will be no game next Saturday as the players will be preparing for the Monday night Leicester Anniversary fixture.

Moseley 2nd/Dev 20 Rotherham 2ndXV 22 January 14th 2006

The first half of this game had definitely a little 'after the lord's mayor show' feel about it with Moseley failing to put on any sort of performance following their excellent displays against Stourbridge and Worcester last week.

Rotherham (or Earth Titans as we should now call them) were a good mix of youth and experience and played good controlled phases of rugby and made good use of the many poor kicking options employed by a lack lustre Moseley side. Rotherham went about the task of amassing points on a regular basis, running back poor clearances or ball turned over when Moseley players found themselves isolated. Moseley's only reply was a penalty despatched by Alastair Bressington to bring about a half time score of 22 - 3 in the visitors favour.

A frank exchange of views in the home dressing room at half time brought about a change of attitude amongst the Moseley team and quickly after the restart the home side set about redressing the imbalance. Adrian Bressington finished off a sweeping move down the left to touch down wide out, followed fairly quickly by a try from David Hunt, finishing off an excellent move involving both backs and backrow.

Bressington improved the score with the conversion and Moseley were back in the game at 15 -22 with 20 minutes to play. Rotherham were by no means rolling over at this point and they themselves were dangerous on a number of occasions and were unlucky not to score once or twice. The game flowed end to end in the final quarter with neither side really taking hold of it but Moseley summonsed up a barnstorming finish when a number of fast half breaks just didn't go to hand.

From the final play of the game, a Moseley scrum 35m out, the backs put together a stunning move to put Butch Holder in for a try wide out on the right. Bressington's last kick of the game from the touchline dropped a metre short and the game was Rotherham's by 2 points. On balance, despite the excellent Moseley fight back, a result that Rotherham deserved.

Big plus points from the game were Tommy Macintosh's continued excellent form and the welcome sight of David Hunt entering the fray after a long injury lay off. David was outstanding in the second half. In the backs Butch Holder, Carl Colvin and Andy Gray continue to press their claim legitimately for first team consideration.

Moseley 2nd/Dev 17 Worcester 2ndXV 15 - January 9th 2006

Game played on a wintry night with a strong downfield wind. Worcester fielded a strong side and had advantage of first use of the windy conditions. A strong performance from the Moseley pack ensured parity at the set piece and determined defence blunted Worcester’s narrow driving game. The only score at half time being a penalty to each side.

Despite Moseley having the advantage of the conditions in the second half Worcester started the stronger and pinned Moseley back in their half with a period of forward power play and excellent ball retention which eventually brought forward it’s just rewards when they powered over from a rolling maul. The conversion was missed but almost immediately Worcester drove the ball deep into Moseley’s 22 and from a well taken lineout they again drove over the Moseley line. Moseley then enjoyed a period of pressure, pinning Worcester back in their half, and from a charged down clearance kick Carl Colvin gathered the ball to score.

Alastair Bressington made the conversion from the touchline. Worcester again started to dominate in what was becoming an end to end game and scored a well taken try to restore their lead to 15 – 7. Moseley again reacted well and following a sustained period of pressure Neil Clarke, on loan from Bristol, powered over for a score that was again well converted by Bressington. Possession then see-sawed between the teams in the final few minutes of the game and Moseley nicked it with a well taken penalty from Bressington. A game thoroughly enjoyed by the good crowd and a game played at a high pace.

Stourbridge 2ndXV 26 Moseley 2nd/Dev 35 - January 7th 2006

As per the well worn cliché this was most definitely a game of two halves!! Moseley travelled to Stourton with a team of mixed experience. Players such as Charlie Daniel, Tommy Macintosh, Dan Hunter, Butch Holder, Carl Colvin and Alastair Bressington, all players of first team quality, were joined by promising players such as Jon Critchlow and Sam Webb, together with 'strags' stalwarts Dan Grant, Mark Wakefield and Adam Conniff and very promising debut's for 18yr old colts Robin Bayliss and Tom Gregory.

Despite the wintry weather and a typical Stourton gluepot of a pitch Moseley set off at a cracking pace and played entertaining open rugby. Stourbridge had no answer to Moseley's flare and invention in the wide channels and, after an early penalty, Moseley went further ahead with a well-worked try by Mark Wakefield following good interplay between Carl Colvin and Butch Holder.

Moseley were maintaining their early pace and style and Tommy Macintosh scored what was to prove the try of the day when, after an 80m support run, he was at hand to touch down a counter attack started in Moseley's 22 when a Stourbridge lineout had been stolen and Jon Critchlow had seen a counter-attacking opportunity. Good hands and great pace from Colvin and Holder eventually found Adam Coniff out wide on the right and he off-loaded to Tommy to finish off. Further try's by Butch and Dan Grant saw a half time score of Stourbridge 0 Moseley 28 posted.

The second half appeared to be following the pattern of the first when Butch once again danced through the Stourbridge cover defence to score a try that was converted by Alastair within a minute of the re-start. This however proved to be the last time Moseley threatened the Stourbridge line as Stourbridge then put together a tremendous period of power play and ball retention.

Ex Moseley players Matt Long, Manny Samra and scrum half Jimmy Price were at the heart of Stourbridge's efforts together with experienced forwards Tisdale and Russell. Stourbridge's pack drove deep into the heart of Moseley's defence again and again and the pressure eventually brought forward its just rewards when 4 try's were scored from drives of 5m or less, three of which were converted. Whilst Moseley's defensive efforts in the second half were heroic they were definitely pleased to hear the final whistle at the end of a half in which Stourbridge were outstanding in the type of rugby they played.

Special mention should be made of Moseley Colts Robin Bayliss and Tom Gregory. Injuries ensured that both were not given the last 20 introduction that was planned. Robin played the entire game, first half at 7 and the second half in the row. Tom had to be introduced early in the second half into the back row. Both were a credit to the colts side that are developing them. Robin in particular showed an outstanding work ethic and neither of them took a step backwards during Stourbridge's second half onslaught. Two players to keep an eye out for in the future.

London Welsh 2ndXV 80 Moseley 2nd/Dev 0 - December 17, 2005

After having been soundly and deservedly beaten at Billesley earlier in the season we expected to experience a tough time at Old Deer Park but, wow, we were absolutely annihilated!

Yes there were probably underlying factors - London Welsh not having a first XV game that day, injuries and unavailability restricting Moseley to only 17 players, arriving late due to the M4 closure - but really the fact is that we were nowhere near good enough man for man in respect of size, pace and ability.

Yes we tried hard, yes we never gave up, yes I was proud of the effort and commitment shown, but the size of the defeat and the inability to compete in all areas of play (with the possible exception of the lineout) really underlines the fact that if we want to keep the 1stXV players under pressure then there will have to be further player recruitment.

Players such as Ben Blackwall, Tommy Macintosh, Charlie Daniel, Dan Hunter and Jon Critchlow were a credit to the club in the manner that they conducted themselves and in their encouragement of the other players around them. The Moseley side was by no means a poor one, all of the players available had been involved in the previous 'strags' games in which the performances have been generally good, and one bad defeat doesn't make poor players of them.

They were all somewhat shell-shocked after the game, but I'm sure that they will reflect upon the manner of the defeat over the festive period , re-group and return in the New Year eager to re-establish their reputation.

Moseley 2nd/Dev. 26 - Orrell 2nd XV 15 - November 26, 2005

Moseley's preparation for this week's game was it's normal chaotic affair with the weekly training sessions quite rightly being focused on preparing the 1stXV squad for the cup match against Rotherham and the side not being able to be finalised until Saturday morning when it was known how many of Friday night's bench players were available.

However by 3 o'clock a side had been gathered and took to the field at Billesley to challenge a good Orrell outfit. Coming off the back of two defeats it was important that the players approached the game correctly in order to steady the ship prior to further testing games against Rotherham, Rugby Lions and NEC Harlequins before Xmas.

An early penalty from fly half Greg Macdonald settled early nerves and when this was followed by a try from Hooker Leroy Hughes following a good catch and drive at a 10m lineout again converted by Greg all was looking well. However a combination of poor ball retention and lack of concentration allowed the spirited Orrell side back into the match with a well taken try and a penalty. Moseley re-grouped and having established a good forward platform realised that the direct route was the one to be taken and settled in to play some tight phases.

The resultant pressure paid off with a second try for Leroy from the same source. Unfortunately Orrell were again let back into the game just before half-time when a defensive error saw the Orrell left wing charge down a chip and touch down wide out. Half time score 15 - 15.

Moseley's forward domination continued after the break but the steady stream of possession was either poorly used at half back or kicked away. Moseley increased their lead with another penalty from Greg followed by a try from scrum half Dan Hunter sniping around the edge of a ruck. Greg completed the scoring for Moseley with another penalty late in the game.

Orrell however had good passages of play throughout the second half and were unlucky not to score on numerous occasions. Their backs were a lively outfit and they made good use of a good kick and chase game. Moseley's defence was stretched time and time again but held out to deny Orrell the score that their play deserved.

So back to winning ways but much more to be done. Hopefully we will be able to prepare a little better prior to our trip up North to Rotherham who are sitting on top of the Northern 2ndXV league at the moment.

Moseley 2nd/Dev. 12 - Nottingham 13 - November 12, 2005

Two defeats in a row on Billesley!! Whereas last week’s reverse against a very strong London Welsh side was acceptable due to the commitment and effort shown by the 'Strags', this week's effort was more disappointing as the boys didn't do themselves justice.

Nottingham were a very workmanlike, well organised side and were well worth their victory on the day, but Moseley having battled back from a disastrous first half failed to control the final 5 minutes of the game and lost to a try conceded with the final play.

The boy's really do have to ask themselves some serious questions? - are they taking the personal opportunities afforded to them? - are they perhaps showing a little arrogance after having dominated the standard of opposition previously provided to them? - are they committed to addressing their own weaknesses rather than looking for excuses?

Knowing them as I do I feel that they will meet the challenges of the past two weeks positively. They will have to, as there is no respite in the standard of matches awaiting them: Orrell, Rotherham, Rugby Lions and London Welsh all come up before Xmas. So to the detail of the game:

Nottingham completely dominated the first half, scoring an early penalty and a well worked try for an 8 - 0 lead. A combination of good fortune and last ditch scrag defence restricted them to that score at half time.

A frank exchange of views at the break resulted in Moseley taking the game to the opposition and creating sustained pressure that brought try's for number 8 Ben Blackwall via a forward drive following a lineout and a try for right winger Ben Roland-Jones from a good kick and chase. One conversion from Alastair Bressington saw the score change to Nottingham 8 Moseley 12 going into the final 10 minutes.

Despite having chances to play the final minutes in the opposition half Moseley lost control at vital phases, one scrum lost against the head, two poor kicks to touch, all resulted in Nottingham playing out the match in Moseley's 22, and from the final play of the game they created space wide out on the right to score a well deserved try.

Any number of excuses could be expressed but the reality of it is that the senior players need to step up and show some true leadership when the going gets tough.

Moseley 2nd/Dev. 12 - London Welsh 30 - November 05, 2005
The 'strags' came up against a very strong and experienced London Welsh side at Billesley on Saturday and, whilst they gave their all and battled bravely, their best wasn't good enough on the day.

The strags were a little depleted, with a number of players being involved in the cup match at Stourbridge, but the young lads that came in will have benefited tremendously from the experience.

London Welsh dominated the forward battle and thoroughly deserved their win.

In all honesty only terrific work rate and dogged defence stopped them from posting an even higher score such was their dominance of possession and territory.

Moseley made poor use of a strong downfield wind during the first half, kicking the ball dead from their own 22 on two occasions and 'Welsh' took full advantage from the resulting scrum backs to score 2 fine trys.

Moseley hit back with trys of their own through an interception by young Aaron Higgins on his debut at fly half and Simon Bailey, a promising openside from Birmingham University who touched down following a good driven lineout.

Half time - Moseley 12 London Welsh 17.

After the break the game was all 'Welsh'. Complete domination of the Moseley scrum saw tremendous amounts of possession created and the Strags did really well to keep them down to just a penalty and 2 try's in the half.

That they did was due to excellent commitment and dogged defence in which Simon Bailey, and youngsters Joe Warren and Sam Webb were outstanding. Next week sees another very tough fixture at Billesley when Nottingham are the visitors. These are just the sort of strong fixtures required to stretch and develop our youngsters.

Doncaster 2nds 11 - Moseley 20 - October 29, 2005

The 'strags' went north yesterday for a match billed on the Donny web site as a North v Midlands battle. And battle it was with two good sides giving no quarter in a game that could have gone either way. Doncaster were last seasons Northern second team champions and took a last game of the season defeat to Moseley (3 - 24) quite badly ( at least it put their coach off his after match pint with us!).

This season's Donny side was a more experienced blend with some gnarly older heads in the pack combined with some exciting young runners. But Moseley matched them on the day producing tremendous effort, commitment and sheer 'dog' to emerge victorious. Alex Hadley returning from long-term injury at lock and a very young and inexperienced back row of last year's colts Sam Webb and Joe Warren and Birmingham University debutant Simon Bailey were the stars of Moseley's pack.

With Dan Hunter at 9 and Greg Macdonald at 10 producing his best game to date this season contesting well at half-back and the explosive pace of another injury returnee James Aston on the wing, combined with the sheer pace and silky running of Andy Gray and Alastair Bressington Doncaster were always threatened by exciting counter-attack. Moseley scored two cracking try's from deep, Alastair running in a turn-over ball from 70m out and Andy Gray finishing off a sweeping counter-attack from 50m with a third try via Simon Bailey who drove through the middle of a try line ruck.

Doncaster however controlled the game for substantial periods and were unlucky not to score on occasion. Tremendous try-line defence kept them out on more than once but eventually their pressure told and a try and a couple of penalties brought them back to 11 - 17 with 10 minutes to go. It was at this point that Moseley were reduced to 13 men with Alex Hadley and Dan Grant being sin-binned for fighting and pulling down a lineout jumper respectively. Doncaster upped the stakes and Moseley's gallant 13 responded.

Time and time again last ditch tackling stopped Donny accumulating further points and Moseley had the last say when following a turnover ball from the tireless Sam Webb, a kick and chase resulted in a penalty for holding on in front of the posts and Alastair stepped up to take the 3 with the last kick of the game. A tremendous result considering the two week lay-off due to game postponements. The 'strags' take on London Welsh next week in a game that has been changed to a home fixture at Billesley.

Moseley 2nd/Dev. 38 - Leicester Academy 22 - October 01, 2005

Leicester brought some very exciting (and quick!) youngsters to Billesley for a game against a more experienced Moseley XV and both sides contributed to a thoroughly enjoyable feast of action at Billesley enjoyed by the 200+ supporters who were present.

Any thought that Moseley would easily dominate the set piece was soon set aside as the Academy front row soon let their intentions be known and had the heavier Moseley 8 wheeling alarmingly. No ball was lost but the service from the back of the scrum was impaired and backrow moves a rarity.

Experience began to tell as the game progressed and Moseley's forwards started to rumble and drive over from a 10m lineout for a good try by openside James Rodwell. Moseley were struggling to make good use of an awkward downfield wind and that played into the hands of Leicester's nippy backs who counter-attacked strongly from deep positions and scored a cracking try by their full back who completely gassed our covering defence. Moseley started to dominate possession and a series of good scores followed.

Andy Gray touched down after a good grubber kick through a flat defence, Tom Skelding rampaged through Leicester's midfield to touch down, Alastair Bressington scored the try of the day when good ball off the top of a 22m lineout was fizzed across the Moseley backs for Alastair to score wide out and finally Rob Sigley touched down after another rumbling driven lineout.

Leicester also had their moments and made the most of the scant possession they were getting. They were a constant threat with ball in hand and scored a second try when yet again not a hand was put on their slick backs.

Half time score Moseley 31 - Leicester 10

The second half again set out at a cracking pace, and following a bulldozing run from Paul Coles Tom Skelding popped up on his shoulder to touch down. The score was improved by goal kicker Chris Buck who completed 4 difficult conversions on the day. The rest of the match as an attacking spectacle rested with Leicester. They raised their game magnificently and score two further try's to bring the score back to 38 - 22, and were constantly pressing to the end. Only some heroic try line defending by Moseley's tiring players saved the day.

If we can continue to attract quality opposition to Billesley and both sides enter into the type of open, fast exciting rugby on display this weekend, then I would anticipate a big increase in bar takings on Strags home days!