Moseley's three-year itch to make progress in cup

Jan 16 2009 by Brian Dick, Birmingham Post

met in knock-out competition was in October 2004 when Smith’s reign was in its infancy and the hosts were still living in digs at Birmingham University. Mose, then in the National Two, managed to beat Henley, then in National One, 24-20 thanks to tries by dearly departed old boys James Aston and Nick Southern and current first-teamer Mark Evans.

Nine of the 22 who lined up for that game are still with the club and will know full well of the need to be careful.

“We can’t take them lightly,” Binns says. “We are two leagues above them, we are at home so they will be desperate to come up and take a scalp.

“It’s roles reversed this year. We treated that day as though we were the underdog with nothing to lose and that’s probably how they’ll come into this game. They’ll really want to turn us over.”

The National Three outfit’s chances of doing that could be helped by the fact Mose have not played since Boxing Day because the deep freeze deprived them of their last two matches. The visitors, though, have not stretched their wings since losing at home to London Scottish on December 20.

Mose expect to be without Jack Adams, who could start for Gloucester in the Heineken Cup, and Charlie Sharples and Henry Trinder who have kept their places in the England Under 20 set up. Otherwise Smith’sstrongest team ought to be capable of maintaining the gulf in class and finally winning a cup match.