London Welsh
Birmingham Solihull v London Welsh Preview
By Mark W-J
November 18 2010
After back-to-back meetings with the Championship's top three sides, London Welsh visit the league's bottom-placed team, Birmingham Solihull, on Sunday afternoon. The Bees have moved in with Solihull Moors FC at Damson Parkway, but despite two wins in the first half of the season (two more than in the entire 'league' section of 2009-10) they still find themselves six points adrift at the bottom.
The Bees’ Great Escape from relegation last season has been well-documented; the merits and associated drawbacks of the play-off system have been debated ad nauseum on various internet chatrooms. What can’t be questioned, however, is the way in which Russell Earnshaw and his squad played the rules to their distinct advantage. They didn’t actually do anything contrary to the laws of the game and the Championship regulations in particular; you can argue (as many have) that they didn’t act in accordance with the spirit of the game by going into administration, taking the 15 point deduction and focussing their entire efforts on surviving the play-offs; but you can’t dispute the fact that they used the laws to suit their peculiar circumstances and survived as a result.
This season began in a similar vein for the Bees – six defeats from six and not even a bonus point to show for their efforts. But then in week seven they scored half a dozen tries in a 38-14 demolition of Esher – the same Esher who had beaten Welsh on a rainy Friday night just nine days previously. The bonus point was secured within the first 30 minutes, and when the Surrey side threatened to claw their way back with two tries of their own early in the second half the home team simply responded in kind. Sadly, only 429 hardy souls turned out to watch, the lowest attendance recorded in the Championship this season. Six days later they came unstuck against the resurgent Doncaster (33-14) before blowing a gilt-edged opportunity to lift themselves off the bottom of the league in the second city derby with Moseley. In front of the only four-figure crowd seen at Damson Park so far (1,062), the visitors’ replacement prop Yann Thomas crashed over for his first senior try in the final minute, namesake Ollie’s conversion sealing a 22-20 win. Yet what goes around, comes around – and on the last day of October the Bees claimed their second win of the year, a last-gasp try from lock Dan Sanderson allowing the returning Mark Woodrow to seal a 35-33 victory at Bristol.
Woodrow was a Birmingham Solihull folk-hero long before he struck that conversion at the Memorial Stadium: it was his six penalties which laid the foundations for the most famous result in the club’s history, the 28-24 win over Wasps at Adams Park (then called the Causeway Stadium) in the 2003-04 cup quarter-finals. The Wasps’ XV that afternoon – although billed in the press as ‘under-strength’ – contained the likes of Voyce, Erinle, Abbott, Rudd, Payne, Leota, Green, Shaw, Birkett, Skivington, and Rees, while the bench included names such as Haskell, Howley, van Gisbergen, Gotting and Purdy. On the back of his kicking prowess, Woodrow earned a full-time contract with Bristol, but soon found himself back at Dings Crusaders, from whom he’d originally joined Bees in 2003 after initially making his breakthrough with Newbury. There followed a short spell at Nottingham and two years at Doncaster, before he returned to Birmingham for their promotion-winning 08-09 season. He departed for Viadana in Italy after just two games of last season, when the first rumours of financial worries surfaced, before winging his way back to the UK and Cinderford, in National One, for the first two months of this season. In the three matches since he returned to Bees, he’s kicked 34 points, from eight penalties and five conversions.
As a result of Moseley’s unexpected 27-15 win over Doncaster last Friday (their first home win of the season bringing the Knights’ four-game winning streak to an abrupt halt) the Bees are now six points behind 11th-placed Esher. They’re the only team to have conceded 50 tries in the Championship so far, and nobody else has given away as many try-bonus points (eight). Winger Simon Hunt is top points scorer with 57, and also the leading try-scorer on seven, including a hat-trick in the defeat to Moseley. For the Welsh, Gordon Ross has 87 points, Aled Thomas’ six penalties against Pirates move him up to 71 and Josh Drauniniu’s eleven tries put him on 55.
Last Sunday’s victory over the Pirates should give Welsh a bit of a lift after two narrow defeats. It seems strange to suggest that the team in fourth place in the table should need a confidence boost, but there was a feeling amongst the supporters that our poor record against the top sides was creating a psychological barrier. Not that we should underestimate this weekend’s opponents, of course, mindful of the fact that the bonus point in our first meeting with the Bees was only secured with the final play of the game. One of the side-effects of being ranked as a top-four side is that everybody wants to cut you down to size; and it’s how you react when faced with such a proposition that decides whether you deserve your place at the top of the pile.
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And then there's the excitement on Sunday of visiting a new ground. Dust off your 'I Spy Book of Rugby Grounds' out and book a place on the LWSC coach. Just £10 for first-timers, juniors and accompanying spouses - the full fare of £19 is still great value. 07989 784082 to book your place.
James Lewis
Personal information
Full name James Lewis
Date of birth 20 November 1987 (age 22)
Place of birth Wales
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight 90 kg (14 st 2 lb)
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position Centre
Professional / senior clubs
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2005-2009
2009-2010
2010- Ebbw Vale
Coventry
Sale ?
?
? (?)
(?)
(?)
correct as of 19:53, 11 February 2008 (UTC).
Provincial/State sides
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2006-2009 Newport Gwent Dragons 1 (0)
correct as of 19:53, 11 February 2008 (UTC).
National team(s)
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2003-2004
2004-2005
2005-2006
2006-2007 Wales U16
Wales U18
Wales U19
Wales U20 3
2
9
4 (?)
(?)
(?)
(?)
Sevens national teams
Years Club / team Tournaments
2006- Wales Sevens
James Lewis (20 November 1987)[1] is a Welsh rugby union player for Cardiff RFC after he played for them in a friendly match against Birmingham and Solihull RFC . A centre, he previously played for Ebbw Vale, Newport Gwent Dragons and Coventry. iN 2010 he had a trial with Sale Sharks.
The twin brother of scrum half Robert Lewis, James Lewis has represented Wales at U16, U18, U19, U20 and 7s. He scored an outstanding try in Wales U19's win over France U19 in the 2005-2006 Grand Slam decider – and played a part in the newly created team's U20 Six Nations campaign in 2007. He has represented Wales on 18 occasions across all the age grade international teams.
Lewis was selected for the senior Wales Sevens squad at 19 years of age for the tour to Hong Kong and Adelaide for legs five and six of the 2006–2007 IRB World Sevens Series. He scored a try in the Plate quarter-final clash against Italy in Hong Kong; his team ultimately won the trophy by overcoming Argentina in the final.
He was the only player to represent Wales in all the 2007–2008 IRB Sevens World Series, and the 3 7s Rugby World Cup qualifying games. He scored a try in the Bowl semi-final in Dubai against Australia (which Wales narrowly lost), and further impressed in the George Sevens; he notched a match-winning try against France in the Bowl semi-final to put his side through to the final against England, in which he also scored to gain Wales Sevens' first piece of silverware in the 2007–2008 season.
In 2007-2008 he was Wales and Europe's highest try scorer in the IRB 7's series and the 13th highest try scorer in the World 7's with 20 tries. Lewis has accumulated 34 tries for Wales 7s in all tournaments.
With Whatling and Mackey injured during games and Shabbo picking up an injury in training yesterday it is a timely addition to the squad.
When did we last have brothers playing for the 1st xv? Rhodri and Geralt Phillips in the 90s? Ever had twins playing?
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:11:21:22:52:11 by nld.
Bees looked surprisingly good in places, and I certainly think another wholesale dump of the players (as some of the supporters seemed to want) would be overreacting. They were making good yards at times when they had the ball.
As for LW, I hope the next game doesn't see us run out to perform in second gear for 40 mins, we wouldn't get away with that against many other sides.
A huge thank you to everyone who helped me get around and listened to my moans about fish & green veg. It did cheer me up to get out, believe it or not!
As for the game, we didn't appear interested in the first half but after a few 'words' from Phil in the changing room it was a different attitude that produced some really good tries in the second half.
A biting cold afternoon and we were all glad when the final whistle came!
On Sunday Paul Mackey said he still had a few weeks of recovery ahead, Shabbo and Claassens both picked up leg strains (on Sat and in match warm-up respectively). Hopefully these are just minor and they'll be fit soon. Whatling must be out until the play-offs.
I found the club welcoming and while the bar and toilet facilities were adequate for a crowd of 371, the distance from the pitch and lack of elevation led us to abandon the seats at half time to stand and enjoy the banter of our supporters in the second half and I agree the floodlighting was poor.
To suggest Ojo, Taki, Thompstone (injured) & Joseph (still in the academy) all wonderful players & nice fellas are show boaters is a nonsense.
We’ve a great record of bringing through young lads & blooding them early - Marland will get his chance but he’s only just joined the academy & competitive game time is needed where he can learn is trade without being exposed & losing confidence.
Clip attached of Sailosi in action
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Quote:Scal greine
To suggest Ojo, Taki, Thompstone (injured) & Joseph (still in the academy) all wonderful players & nice fellas are show boaters is a nonsense.
Four names I wouldn't put forward as showboaters - correct. You know who I mean!
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