December 9, 2023
Today’s visitors to Kingsey Road were Birmingham Moseley, another one the famous names in English rugby now languishing in the third tier.
Previous Meetings
These diaries covered the meeting between these two sides last year, which finished in a 38-21 home win for Chinnor.
https://fatbearssportingdiaries.blogspot.com/2022/09/chinnor-38-21-birmingham-moseley-att.html
Remarkably, since Chinnor’s promotion to National League One for 2018/19, this had been the only home win in the 7 meetings between the two sides, with Birmingham Moseley having won on their two earlier visits to Chinnor, but losing all four home fixtures.
Birmingham Moseley’s 29-27 win in 2021/22 at Chinnor was also reported on by Fatbear.
https://fatbearssportingdiaries.blogspot.com/2022/01/chinnor-27-29-birmingham-moseley-att.html
Birmingham Moseley Background
Moseley are one of the oldest clubs in English club rugby, having reached the John Player Cup final in 1972 and 1979, and shared the title in 1982 after a 12-12 draw with Gloucester. My first awareness of the club was flanker Nick Jeavons being selected to play for England, winning 14 caps, and being an injury call-up for the 1983 British Lions tour to New Zealand.
Moseley were relegated from the Championship in 2015/16, after which the name of the club was changed to Birmingham Moseley. Since relegation their highest position in National League One was 5th in 2016/17 and in 2018/19. Last season they finished 9th.
Birmingham Moseley This Season
The visitors started the day in 6th place in the National League table with a 7-0-4 record, 14 points behind second place Chinnor, but with a game in hand after last week’s fixture at home to Richmond was postponed due to a frozen pitch.
They started this season slowly, with three losses in their opening 5 matches, going down to Rams ( A 36-50 ), Sedgley Park ( H 21-44 ) and Bishop’s Stortford ( A 22-29 ). They then went on a run of 5 consecutive victories before losing at Plymouth Albion ( 18-19 ) in their last outing, missing a late long-range penalty to win the game after conceding a try to what looked to be an obvious knock-on.
Their victims this season were Rosslyn Park ( A ), Taunton ( H ), Leicester Lions ( H ), Darlington Mowden Park ( A ), Sale ( H ), Cinderford ( A ) and Blackheath ( H )
One of Birmingham Moseley’s short comings so far this season has been gathering only 5 bonus points so far, with two losing points and only three try bonus points.
Matchday Information
Since their emphatic home win over Richmond, Chinnor continued their good form last week with a 40-15 victory at newly promoted Leicester Lions to stay in second place, one point behind Rams.
After a morning of heavy rain which had seen most of the local football matches postponed, the weather at the 15.00 kick-off was blue skies but it was extremely windy. The temperature was officially 11 degrees but it felt particularly chilly, and the floodlights were already on. If both packs were looking forward to wallowing in the heavy conditions, they would have been disappointed as the pitch looked to be in good condition.
Birmingham Moseley had arranged a coach for their supporters to travel to the game so had a decent contingent in support and they regularly made their voices heard during the game !
Birmingham Moseley substitute prop Ben Betts had made 11 appearances for Chinnor in 2018/19 when on loan from Ealing Trailfinders before moving on to play several seasons in the Championship for Nottingham. Ex-Leeds Tykes fly-half Tighe Maxwell-Whiteley, who had lost in two consecutive visits to Chinnor, was their leading points scorer with 93 points, whilst lightning-fast winger Aquile Smith had 9 tries so far. Full-back Henry Joule was making his debut after signing on loan from Nottingham.
Like last season, Chinnor prop Josh McNulty faced a battle against his brother Sam in the front row whilst his other brother, centre Isaac was amongst the Moseley substitutes.
Birmingham Moseley were playing in their traditional red and black hoops with black shorts whilst Chinnor were in their usual home kit of black and white.
Match Report
Birmingham Moseley kicked off towards the Showground End with the strong wind at their backs. They quickly won the first line-out of the game and number 8 Ollie Steadman made a strong run through the centre of the field to gain 15 meters, with hooker Sam McNulty then making another 10 metres to get within 5 metres of the Chinnor try line, but the home side won the turnover. However, the clearing kick was charged down, and after a Chinnor knock on then a Moseley knock-on, it looked like the referee was going to allow the Moseley player to run unopposed over the line, before eventually calling play back for the scrum to Moseley.
After two scrum resets the referee awarded a free-kick to Chinnor but they failed to find touch, and after kicking back into the Chinnor 22, the visitors forced a penalty. After securing their line-out ball from the subsequent 5 metre line-out, the home side defended well and won a penalty.
Chinnor were struggling to get out of their own half, but a line-out steal helped keep the visitors at bay, but after a period of kick-tennis centre Allsopp kicked cross-field and a favourable bounce enabled fellow centre Elliott Creed to pick-up and step inside Chinnor full-back Feeney out-wide and then run under the posts. It looked all too easy, and Maxwell-Whiteley slotted the extras to make the score 0-7 after 13 minutes.
Chinnor’s response was for Feeney to send a poor kick high into the wind but Moseley infringed to give a scrum to Chinnor just inside the Moseley half. Another free-kick was awarded against Moseley at the scrum but after Chinnor took a quick tap and go, a loose pass was thrown straight into touch.
The game was scrappy with neither side able to retain possession for any period of time. When Moseley spread the ball along their three-quarters, Smith made a dangerous run down the touchline only to be tackled just inside the home 22. After the ball was recycled, they forced a penalty, which was kicked to 5 metres. However, Merrick again stole the line-out for Chinnor and scrum-half Carter was able to clear.
The scrappy nature of the player continued as Moseley knocked on at their line-out and when Chinnor tried to run from the scrum Moseley wing Bulumakau attempted to stop from a clear off-side position to concede a penalty. However, the kick to touch failed to make much ground given the strength of the wind.
A Moseley counter attack led to Smith making another threatening run down the left-wing, but his attempted off-load when tackled was intercepted, and Chinnor launched their own counter attack. After making a break, Feeney opted to kick ahead but the covering defence was able to gather and avert the danger.
Chinnor won another line-out on the Moseley throw, and after a bullocking run by number 8 Willie Ryan, an ambitious pass from centre Bourton went to ground and it looked like the visitors would be able to race away towards the Chinnor line. However, the referee had been playing an advantage and the home side were able to kick to the Moseley 22 for the first time in the half.
Chinnor won their line-out ball and won a penalty, and when they tapped quickly, they were stopped by several defenders not having retreated 10 yards, and after another penalty was given, lock Morgan French was the Moseley player selected for the yellow card.
From the 5 metre line-out, the Chinnor pack rumbled over and hooker Walker was credited with the try. The difficult touchline conversion from Worboys slid just wide so it was 5-7 after 33 minutes.
Chinnor failed to find touch from the restart, and when Moseley spread the ball wide, Smith again crossed the gain line before being tackled inside the Chinnor 22, but Moseley knocked on after recycling the ball from the ruck.
Chinnor won a penalty at the resulting scrum but at the subsequent line-out it was their turn to knock-on. Although the home pack got a good shove on at the scrum, the Moseley back row secured possession, but more pressure on the Moseley backs resulted in a penalty to Chinnor.
With a minute remaining on the scoreboard clock, Chinnor won their line-out and on-loan Bath fly-half Worboys made a break, but good defence by the visitors won a penalty, and play returned to the Chinnor 10 metre line.
Moseley won their line-out ball and a kick from scrum-half Jack Jolly bounced into touch close to the Chinnor line-out. It was the home side’s turn to lose a line-out and after one forward drive was held-up, Jolly darted over close to the corner flag for Moseley’s second try. Maxwell-Whiteley’s conversion was magnificently judged, sailing well wide of the far upright until being taken by the wing through the centre of the posts. At half-time it was now 5-14 to Moseley.
The strength of the wind today is typically worth 10-15 points, so Chinnor would not have been too concerned by the half-time scoreboard, although unlike the Caldy masterclass of playing into the Chinnor gale two seasons ago, they had kicked too often, and the numerous knock-ons in admittedly difficult conditioned, hadn’t helped either.
If the home supporters had thought it would be one-way traffic in the second-half they would have received a shock when Allsopp made a good break to get close to the Chinnor 22. Chinnor then tried to run from their scrum but dropped the ball, Allsopp fly-hacked on and Creed picked up only to be tackled just short of the try line, and Chinnor were award a scrum.
A good shove by the Moseley eight pushed Chinnor off their ball and won a penalty. A quick tap saw prop Ethan Priest go over from close range, and with Maxwell-Whitely again successful from the tee, Moseley’s lead extended to 5-21 after 49 minutes.
Chinnor’s response was immediate, and after a number of close range drives were repelled by the overworked Moseley defence, Bourton make a great crossfield run, drew the last man to send wing Nick Smith over in the corner. With the touchline conversion missed it was now 10-21 after 53 minutes.
Chinnor’s tails were now up and an excellent low bouncing kick took them to 10 metres from the Moseley line. The high clearing kick from the Moseley defence was well caught by Wharton as Chinnor returned back to the Moseley 22.
Moseley were awarded a scrum after a Chinnor line-out was not straight, and although Steadman picked up and charged forward, he was pinged for not releasing, and Chinnor were back with a 5-metre line-out. As Chinnor pressed for another try, Moseley’s Jolly was penalised for preventing Carter playing the ball at a ruck, and another yellow card was produced for Moseley.
Interestingly, Chinnor opted for a scrum, but again their attacking move ended with a knock-on. With 64 minutes played another Chinnor knock-on resulted in a scrum to Moseley on their 22 but a good push by the Chinnor pack was rewarded with another penalty, and so another 5 metre line-out.
The first drive from the line-out was illegally halted but at the second attempt they drove over. Although the announcer couldn’t identify the try scorer, it was credited to Walker. Worboys converted to take the score to 17-21 with 11 minutes remaining.
A superb kick from Feeney from the restart kept play inside the Moseley 22. However, they lost their line-out ball and Moseley broke. Full-back Joule made a break but was forced into touch.
Chinnor were still on the attack as Moseley’s “game management” came into play, first delaying play to tie-up shoe-laces and then delaying a line-out by clearing mud from the studs of boots.
From a scrum, Moseley substitute Isaac McNulty ran into the Chinnor half and Chinnor infringed in their efforts to stop him, and Maxwell-Whiteley opted to go for the posts. His kick into the gale was excellent and sailed over, to extend Moseley’s lead to 17-24 with 4 minutes remaining.
Moseley’s good work was then undone by the restart being dropped to give Chinnor the put in at a scrum around 8 yards out. Play took what seemed to be an age to resume, with two resets and lengthy delays in getting the scrums ready, but when the ball was finally put into the scrum, Bourton set off on a strong run, and although he was tackled, Walker picked up to score close to the posts for his third try and a bonus point for his side, and Worboys added the extras to level the scores 24-24 after 79 minutes.
Moseley kicked the restart long but Feeney sent an awkward kick back towards the visitors 22. Aquile Smith carefully controlled the ball with his foot and then picked up but with the energised Chinnor player swarming forward, a penalty was awarded 40 metres out. Worboys stepped up to send the ball between the sticks to give Chinnor the lead for the first time in the match with time up on the clock up. 27-24.
The Chinnor supporters were now nervously pleading for the referee to end the game but play continued. Moseley twice moved close to the Chinnor 22 before losing the ball to turnovers, and then Carter kicked ahead but the ball ran dead before Goss could get to it.
With over 5 minutes of additional time played, Moseley tried to attack from inside their own half but after another knock-on the referee blew his whistle to end a pulsating match.
The wind did turn-out to be a 10-15 point advantage, enabling Chinnor to come back for a narrow win which kept them second in the table and a point behind Rams, who they host next Friday evening in what should be another cracking encounter in this league.
It was an enthralling match to watch, but both sides would probably look back at their handling errors and the number of line-outs lost.
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