Balding backs Mose’s luck to change in close clashes
Prior to their game against Rosslyn Park, nine of Birmingham Moseley's 14 games in National One have been decided by seven points or fewer.
This includes a threepoint loss to table-toppers Chinnor, and these agonising defeats are a source of both frustration and encouragement.
Director of rugby Adam Balding told The Rugby Paper: “There is an element of frustration, because there's been four games where we lost by three or four points which could have gone either way. That would have put a different spin on where we are in the league but all in all, I'm happy with all the hard work going on behind the scenes and how the lads are playing week in week out.”
Trying to turn these results into wins is far from easy in a league as competitive as National One, but Balding highlights the need to be clinical.
Moseley came into this weekend just three points off fourth and six points away from third, with Chinnor and Rams being the breakaway leaders.
Balding said: “To be a top-four side or to be towards the top of the league, we need to be more clinical when we get those opportunities.
“In those bigger games, you need big moments to go in your favour. If you don't convert, you'll end up in a position where at some point that comes back to haunt you.”
Part of the reason why results have been so closely fought is because of how competitive National One is. And Balding says it is one of the hardest levels to operate at.
“You're trying to be as professional as you can be whilst lads are at work all day,” Balding said.
“We certainly squeeze our players, not only in what they do at the club, but what they do away from the club.”
Despite the challenges, there is a sense of optimism for Birmingham Moseley. Balding added: “We feel we didn't quite achieve our potential in the first half of the season and we let four games slip that we should have won. We'd like to think we can accrue more points in the second off the season and make it exciting.
“It's uncharted territory, but we just have to keep performing the way we are and keep working on one game at a time.”
With games against Taunton Titans, Bishop's Stortford and Leicester Lions coming up, all of whom are below Moseley, they could soon be pushing the top four.
