By corporalcarrot
December 23 2013

Another loss but at least we got a bonus point. I travelled over Saturday morning on the Flybe to Brum and given that the team travelled the day before was a bit surprised to spot Latu sitting in the front row on the plane. Latu’s better half is imminently expecting a little wing forward but the game bloke confirmed that he was travelling a tad late but up for the game.

Anyway the plane arrived in Brum before noon and I beat Latu (who was being picked up by Jersey Kate) to the arrivals gate and headed into New Street by train and got to the centre of Brum before 12.30. A tour around the Frankfurt Market followed consuming a huge lump of non vegetarian stuff that claimed to be a sausage and a rather good pint of beer in a random city centre pub before heading out to Yardley Wood for the match. The return rail fare was £3.55 what a bargain! 

Jersey dominated the match but lost 10-3! 

In the first half up the hill and into the wind Jersey were magnificent and conservatively kept the ball and regularly ignored kickable penalties to maintain field position. We spilled the ball at one point and the Mose wing who had real pace ran in a try against the run of play which was ultimately the deciding score.

Late in the first half Fred Silc took a knock to the head and the subsequent reorganisation probably cost us the match. Rae moved to blind side and Latu moved to open side and both played well out of position but from that point on we lost our previous control at the breakdown. 

Second half down wind and down the hill there was no score although Jersey continued to dominate the ball.

The backs lie at least 2 metres too deep to threaten the line which makes the three quarter passing look great without any rush defence pressure but without a really fast full back or blind side winger joining the line Mose drift defence always meant the outside backs were outnumbered. Jersey tried their usual ploy of keeping it in the forwards in the hope of a penalty try or yellow card to gain advantage but although we had the edge in the forwards we didn’t have enough dominance to make either likely and ultimately it didn’t happen.

The long series of reset scrums on the Mose 5 metre line around the hour mark cried out for a No8 pick up, scrum half break or three quarter move but I fully understand the conservative approach and Steve and the lads have my full support.

Jersey was brilliantly supported and if the Rugby paper was right and there were 948 there I reckon at least 10-15% was supporting Jersey. It was good to put faces to names with the Crewe branch of the Jersey away supporters and hopefully the forum administrator can put them in the hall of fame.

Mose clubhouse is a gem and they managed to screen the LW/LS game at one end and live music beside the real ale bar at the other end.

Jersey and Moseley legend Ben Evans was eating foe England & Wales in the backroom but I tracked him down and he is still a top man in my book:

Loudest Christmas pullover prize went to Tom Brown’s mate who has more bottle than me to wear that one:

The boys were a bit underwhelmed at Brum Airport on the way back but being ever the optimist I fancy a good win against Oxford Welsh in the New Year. All the best for Christmas and 2014. CC