Bristol showdown bigger than a cup final for Moseley
“We have got to go out and win and everything we have done in the last few weeks has been building up to it.”
Clearly. In the space of our ten minute interview Mason uses the phrase ‘March 13’ four times. It is as though the date has become an abbreviation for the match’s unspoken significance. It is obvious it has been fixed in his mind for several weeks.
And so too have the reasons to believe. Say what you like about the cup win, more important or not, it is a vital source of inspiration for Ian Smith’s squad.
Leeds, the side that is threatening to upset the Premiership applecart, were well beaten in the final, while Exeter were smashed in the semis.
“The good thing about our position is that have played games against supposedly big opposition in our league and we have come out on top, therefore we know we can do it,” he says.
“Against Exeter we knew what their game plan was, they were straight down the middle and we knew what they were going to do. We stopped them at source and that made them do something else. It knocked them back, I don’t think they expected it.
“The same we Leeds, we took the game to them and hopefully that is what we are going to do against Bristol.”
Which is something they did not do at the Memorial Stadium when the sides met on a cold evening last October.
Moseley were relatively gratified by the 19-9 scoreline and the fact they had been able to shut down the most dangerous excesses of the Bristol attack.
On reflection, though, they did not offer anything in attack other than Tristan Roberts’ boot. A criticism that can be laid on umpteen occasions this term.
That has changed to some extent in recent weeks, though whether they can convincingly transfer a slightly more adventurous approach from the British & Irish Cup to the white heat of the league, remains a serious concern.
Mason maintains it is something they must do.
“I am hoping that we will play rugby the way we can play - attacking rugby that we have done in the last couple of games,” he says.
“We can do it, we have just fell away in the last couple of phases. It’s not going to be Baa Baa, sevens rugby but we are going to go out there to control the game instead of the opposition.
“If we control it from start to finish the chances are we will win. We want to dictate the pace, speed it up and slow it down when we want to do it. That’s got to be better than playing at their pace.
“On our day we can match anyone in this league but that day has to be March 13.”
Indeed it does, otherwise they will have six more, unwanted days.
