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Lions ran out worthy winners of this Midlands derby after building up a commanding half time lead…….but they almost let it slip with a second half performance that at times was as bad as the first half at Exeter last week.  After letting Moseley close the gap to 4 points, Lions scored a late try to secure victory and deny Moseley a bonus point. 

Moseley included Garry Becconsall at scrum half who was instrumental in Lions’ promotion push last season.  On the bench was Jim Withers who never let Lions down in his limited appearances over the last few seasons. 

Moseley had to make late changes to their line up when influential full back Lee Hinton was injured during the warm up.  If someone had offered you extremely favourable odds that the Lions’ full back would also succumb to injury during the warm up, you would have thought he was either mad or a cricket loving bookmaker.  However, anyone brave enough to put a few quid on would have been laughing all the way to the bank, as Nopera Stewart, due to make his debut for the Lions, limped out of the warm up session 15 minutes before kick off. 

Lions had to switch Fa’ototo Moananu to full back, with poor Phil Reed, due to start the game in his preferred scrum half position, moving back to the wing, and Tom Walsh coming off the bench to fill the scrum half berth.  Bennett Smith joined the replacements. 

Lions carried on where they left off last week with a penalty against them in the first minute.  However, they managed to steal Moseley’s throw at the resultant line, and when the forward drive was stopped illegally, up stepped fly half Richard Davies to stroke the penalty kick straight and true from 35 metres. 

Another penalty against Lions from the kick off saw Moseley in an attacking position, but when the lineout was won, fly half Greg McDonald spilled the ball.  Lions duly won the scrum and Richard Davies put in the first of his booming clearance kicks to take Lions back into Moseley territory.  A Lions’ steal at the lineout saw Will Pilkington on the charge, and when he was held, the ball was swept crossfield for Phil Reed to dive over in the corner.  Unfortunately the touch adjudged the final pass to be forward, and Moseley were able to clear from the scrum. 

Forward?????

Richard Davis now showed his delicate skills as he chipped the defence, but Moseley wing Geoff Gregory covered well and cleared his line with a strong run.  James Ogilvie-Bull, returning on the wing after a 2-week absence, then took a cross-field kick.  His inside pass gave Richard Davies the space to fire a superb kick from his own 22-metre line to within yards of the Moseley corner flag.  Lions’ had no chance to get to the mark as Moseley took a quick throw to clear to their 22-metre line. 

Good entertaining stuff so far, but Lions were again doing themselves no favours with a string of penalties that saw Moseley camped on Lions’ line.  A Moseley Gary Owen to the corner, Rugby League style, was not taken cleanly by Lions, and Moseley were able to regain possession in the Club House corner.  With Lions’ defence well and truly sucked in, the ball was moved wide for number 8 Ian Patten, lurking in the centre, to stride through a huge gap to put Moseley in front.  Greg McDonald missed the conversion. 

A good restart by Richard Davies saw Moseley knock on, only for Steve Smith to be penalised at the scrum for holding on in the tackle when he slipped as he picked up from the base.  Garry Becconsall was next to show his paces with a good kick from the base of a scrum to push Lions back into their own 22, but another booming 70 metres clearance by Richard Davis soon had Moseley back pedalling. 

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Moseley tried to get back into the game, but fierce tackling by Lions, with Jason Brittin to the fore, drove them back.  Jason is not very big, but if he was a boxer they would say that he punched his weight (or peed up every tree).  However, the good work was again wasted as Lions were penalised.  Moseley duly won the lineout from the resultant kick to the corner, and they moved the ball wide, but Andy Gray was bundled into touch by Stuart Potter, aided and abetted by James Ogilvie-Bull. 

Lions took the lineout and Richard Davies again showed his superb kicking talent with another long clearance.  When Moseley were caught offside, he then demonstrated that his place kicking is also working well as he added the 3 points from 30 metres. 

Moseley’s restart was a poor one as it didn’t travel forward the required 10 metres.  Lions’ kick to the corner from the scrum was well cleared under pressure, but Lions were still in an attacking position.  However, Moseley stole the lineout, but Lions immediately turned them over, and the ball was moved wide to powerhouse wing James Ogilvie-Bull.  He burst through a couple of tackles, but when he was eventually stopped he was penalised for not releasing the ball in the tackle. 

Back came Lions, and strong forward play set up the position for Richard Davies (who else??) to calmly slot a drop goal from 30 metres.  A full house………try, conversions, penalties, and now a drop goal.  The young fly half is improving with every game under the guidance of Paul Turner, and he is quickly becoming a very exciting prospect. 

A long kick by Moseley ran straight dead, giving Lions the scrum from where Steve Smith again broke well from the base.  However, time was not on Lions’ side as the referee blew for half time. 

A good first half for the Lions to sweep into a commanding lead.  The Shed eagerly awaited the second half to see Lions’ go for the bonus point for scoring 4 tries.  

Half time 

Lions    23            Moseley          5

Unfortunately, the bottle of whatever went in the tea at half time at Exeter must have run out, and the new bottle can’t be as strong, as Lions quickly lost their grip on the game to a determined Moseley team, no doubt rattled by a stern half time talk.  

Moseley prop Terry Sigley quickly got to grips with things……..well, to be more accurate, with Ben Buxton’s head in a maul.  Ben took exception to being held in a headlock, and when he turned round to politely ask his opponent to let go, there was a clash of heads, and Ben was penalised.  Moseley showed their intent by kicking to the corner.   

The lineout take was good, and the signs were bad for Lions as the Moseley pack drove remorselessly towards Lions’ line.  However, Lions’ prevented them getting the ball down cleanly to concede a 5-metre scrum.  This time the ball was moved wide, but Stuart Potter expertly wrapped up his opposite number…….I’ll bet he’s terrific at Christmas. 

For once Richard Davies’s clearance did not find touch, and an excellent take by Marcus Cooke on the run soon had Moseley back in Lions’ 22.  However, a midfield turnover almost had Phil Reed away on the wing, but his ankle was tapped as he tried to chip the last line of defence, and the ball was spilled forward. 

Tom Woolrich now replaced “Necky” Mee, who is still a fine figure……..although what of I’m not sure.  However, he turned in a solid first performance back in a Lions’ shirt. 

Now it was Lions’ turn to exert some pressure as the ball was moved quickly left and then back right.  With the touch judge attempting to catch the referee’s attention, Fa’atoto Moananu suddenly burst clear from a ruck to dive over in the corner.  Lions were jogging back to the centre and Moseley were lining up for the conversion when the referee finally noticed his touch judge with his flag raised.  A short conversation quickly had the try being disallowed in favour of a penalty to Moseley, with Tim Collier getting a talking to for tripping an opponent. 

Moseley again attempted to breach the Lions’ defence as they moved the ball wide, but again Lions’ tackling was equal to the task.  Unfortunately the penalty count against Lions was again unacceptably high, with Chris Jones compounding matters by conceding another 10 metres for telling the referee what he thought of him. 

Again Moseley kicked to the corner.  Again the lineout was won.  Again the forwards drove on to the Lions’ line……..but again Lions managed to hold them up to prevent a score.  Jason Brittin was again to the fore with some ferocious tackling to deny Moseley, but was hurt in the process and was replaced by Matt Williams after another good day at the office.  Lions took the opportunity to bring Ben Lewitt on to replace Will Pilkington. 

More penalties against Lions saw Moseley fast approaching the Lions’ line, and this time they were not to be denied.  A series of drives were held, but then Garry Becconsall suddenly popped out of a maul to scamper over from 25 metres for a typical sniping try.  Greg McDonald’s conversion saw Moseley right back in the game. 

Steve Smith carried on a powerful run by Chris Jones, but he was hurt in the process and replaced by Tim Stannard who slotted in at number 8. 

The pressure on Lions was not easing as speedy wing Andy Gray, now at full back in place of the injured Marcus Cooke, sliced through the Lions’ defence, but was caught by the cover.  As the ball was lost in the tackle, Lions managed to hack clear, but back came Moseley. 

Another string of penalties allowed Moseley to maintain the pressure as kickable positions were scorned in favour of kicks to the corner.  Ben Lewitt was hurt in repulsing another Moseley attack, and was carried off to be replaced by Bennett Smith.  Again Moseley were held up over the line, but again they were awarded a 5 metre scrum  This time the shove was good, and with Lion’s going backwards, the referee deemed that Lions’ illegally prevented a certain score, and awarded a penalty try.  Greg McDonald’s simple conversion now saw his team only 4 points adrift, having looked down and out at half time. 

Lions were now staring defeat in the face, but showed tremendous character to conjure up a score to ease the tension.  Fa’atoto Moananu set up the position with a sniping run.  When the ball was moved wide, second row Chris Jones did a very creditable impression of a centre to give Phil Reed the space to hand off his opposite number as he sped round him and dived over in the Clubhouse corner.  Richard Davies’s conversion drifted wide. 

Phil Reed confirms the Lions win

Moseley were not going to give up without a fight, and again they tried to find a way through Lions’ defence.  Ian Patten tried to repeat his try scoring feat from the first half as he lurked on the wing.  Fortunately for Lions his legs aren’t what they used to be (although I’m not sure exactly what he has replaced them with now) and he was caught by a superb cover tackle from Tom Walsh. 

Still Lions conspired to give Moseley another score as a string of penalties gave Greg McDonald the opportunity to earn his team a bonus point as the seconds ticked by.  His kick slid wide of the post and the referee signalled full time. 

Final result: 

Lions    28            Moseley          19

A puzzling performance from Lions.  After building up a good lead with some excellent Rugby, they seemed to go to sleep in the second half, although not asleep enough to keep down the number of penalties that were conceded.  This is an area that Lions must sort out and quickly. 

However, as they say in the Shed, “a win’s a win”, and Lions have now consolidated themselves in mid table of their new League.   

Now for Manchester.  It is by no means going to be easy, but the game is eminently winnable……….but the penalty count must be reduced significantly if Lions are to continue their winning ways. 

Let’s hope that the dire injury situation starts to ease soon, and Lions can start to field a settled side.  

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Richard Davies

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Lions team

Thursday night

Although Rugby have not won an away game against Moseley since 1964/65 in a total of twenty visits to the Reddings, their home record is much better and they have won six out of eight since1989/90. Moseley’s last visit to Webb Ellis Road at the lowest point of a disappointing season for the home side was one of their few successes. On 12^th February 2000 it was Rugby’s last game before a large influx of new players arrived and almost rescued Rugby from relegation. 

Two ex-Lions players are playing for the Birmingham club this season. Scrum half and captain, Gary Becconsall who spent last season with the Lions was in the1993/94 team that consigned Rugby to relegation from Division 2 in the final league game. Jim Withers who has been with Rugby since1997/98 has also now returned to his former club. 

Moseley’s start to this season had been a poor one with a bad home loss against an unfancied Otley followed by a defeat at Bracknell by last season’s Division 2 champions, then came last weekend’s extraordinary 46-45 win over Bedford. The lead changed hands 8 times, five in the second half and the closest of games was eventually won by a penalty in the sixth minute of injury time.  The Lions will have to watch the penalty count as Moseley’s Leigh Hinton missed only one of his eleven kicks at goal, and this was in spite of an unpredictable and blustery wind.