Round 4 Preview: Birmingham Moseley vs Taunton Titans

Three matches in and the shape of National League One is beginning to emerge. Last season’s runners-up, Rams, maintained their unbeaten start with a large margin of victory at Sedgley Park and are now the only team with three wins from three. At the other end of the table Sale FC went scoreless in defeat to Chinnor and are winless and anchored in fourteenth. Taunton Titans, following a home defeat to Richmond are one place above and are the only other team yet to win.

Two of the newly-promoted sides met at Leicester where Blackheath won 3-34 against Lions and they sit in second place alongside Rosslyn Park (defeated at home by Birmingham Moseley) and Titans’ West Country rivals Plymouth Albion who triumphed at Bishops Stortford. In the other fixture Cinderford came away from the long trip to Darlington Mowden Park with just one losing bonus point (25-20).

This Saturday Taunton Titans are on the road to Birmingham. They last visited Birmingham Moseley in April in the nerve-jangling penultimate game of last season. Having trailed 22-7 at the break, Titans roared back to take the lead only for Moseley to kick a penalty off the inside of the post and hang on for victory, securing their own future but leaving Somerset nerves on edge for one more week.

The premier club from England’s second city, Moseley was formed in 1873 by cricketers looking for some winter diversion. They traditionally play in red and black and it was they who contested the Olympic Rugby title at the Paris Games in 1900, securing silver on behalf of Great Britain in the competition’s only fixture. When the professional era arrived, Moseley was placed in the top division but were relegated in 1991 and have wandered the National Leagues ever since. Following administration in 1998, they sold off their historic home, The Reddings, and played at several homes before settling at Billesley Common, Yardley Wood Road.

Moseley was relegated to National League One in 2016 and has been known since that time as Birmingham Moseley. They number many internationals amongst their former players including Steve Ojomoh, Les Cusworth, Victor Ubogu, Mike Teague and Simon Hodgkinson. It was a close-run thing when the two sides last met at Veritas Park with Titans sneaking a home win by 22-19 despite a second-half comeback from the visitors.

Birmingham Moseley is coached by Adam Balding, the former Leicester, Gloucester and Newcastle number 8 and he has alongside him now as scrum and defence coach Ashley Johnson who played in the Premiership for Wasps and internationally for South Africa.

Entrance to Birmingham Moseley’s Billesley Common ground on Yardley Wood Road is £20.00 per adult for ground entry on the gate with £5 extra to sit in the grandstand whilst Under 18senjoy free entry and over 65s can also get a discounted entry price of £16. These prices are cheaper if bought online prior to Saturday (£17 in advance for adults, £13 for seniors). Match-day hospitality is available before the game (and must be pre-booked also via the Moseley club website). https://moseleyrugby.co.uk/hospitality. Kick-off is at 3.00pm.

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Taunton Warriors will be playing at home as they look to make it 4 wins from 4 after a big away win last weekend at Yatton (10-95). The rugby world cup will be shown on the big screens with England taking on Chile at 16:45.