Moseley set for Trophy double-header
THERE will be league points at stake as well as a place in a Twickenham final when Moseley entertain Exeter Chiefs in the EDF Energy Trophy semi-finals at Billesley Common on Saturday March 21.
The clubs have agreed to play the game as a double-header with the winners progressing to the final and also picking up valuable National League One points.
It is believed to be the first time that an EDF Energy National Trophy match has doubled up as a league game, a decision that was taken to help ease Moseley’s backlog of fixtures caused by three postponements earlier in the season.
The Exeter match will be played under National Trophy regulations which means that extra-time will be played if the scores are level after 80 minutes. But league points will be calculated on the score after 80 minutes.
Regulations on player eligibility and front row replacements are slightly different for the National Trophy but Ian Smith, Moseley’s head coach, says that they are minor issues and his side’s main concern will be trying to claim valuable league points to stay clear of the relegation zone.
“It’s a bit of an unusual situation having a double-header, but we will probably regard it as a league fixture primarily and we will try to get some points out the game,” said the former Scotland flanker.
“The fact that it is a cup semi-final with a trip to Twickenham is a tremendous bonus but we are under no illusions we are playing against very tough opponents, but a game that we are capable of winning if we get the various key parts of our game working well.”
League positions suggest that Moseley will start as underdogs and Smith believes that the pressure is now on Exeter whose National One title hopes have been revived in recent weeks with Leeds Carnegie suffering successive away defeats at Doncaster and Bedford Blues.
“Exeter were probably quite happy to be in the bridesmaid’s position but they have suddenly been catapulted into the limelight in the last couple of weeks with Leeds losing a couple of games,” Smith said.
The semi-final is the first time that Moseley have reached the last four of a national competition since the 1989/90 season when they were beaten 21-7 by Bath in what is now the EDF Energy Cup.
Moseley were twice beaten finalists in that competition in the 1970s but they shared the trophy in 1982 after a 12-12 draw with Gloucester when Derek Nutt, the current club president, was captain.
Moseley are again likely to be without winger Charlie Sharples and centre Henry Trinder who are on dual registrations and who are likely to be required for Guinness Premiership duty against Worcester Warriors on Sunday.
Nottingham’s EDF Energy National Trophy semi-final against Leeds Carnegie at Meadow Lane on Sunday March 22 will go ahead purely as a cup tie but there will be double incentive for captain Craig Hammond and his players.
Apart from a first trip to Twickenham the game offers Nottingham’s players the chance to boost their earnings.
The players all agreed to take a pay-cut on November to help ease Nottingham’s financial difficulties and the club responded by agreeing to allow to keep the prize money won in the EDF Energy National Trophy.
Beaten semi-finalists in the National Trophy get £18,000, the losing finalists win £24,000 and the Trophy winners £32,000.
“When we agreed to take the pay cut the club said that they would respond by allowing the players to keep any prize money from the National Trophy,” said England Counties international Hammond.
“That was good of them so that’s quite an incentive as is the chance to play at Twickenham at the end of what has been quite a tough season for the club.
“We’ve got a good bunch of guys at the club, most of us have played for Nottingham for three or four years, and we decided that we would stick together through this.
“Things seem to be getting better. It looks like we have got enough money to get through to the end of this season and we are now talking about next season and having contract negotiations.
“We would like to keep these players and coaches together, we’ve worked very hard together and we’re now playing for new contracts.”
Though Nottingham might have preferred to have avoided Leeds, the National One leaders, until the final, Hammond believes that this is as good a time as any to be playing them.
Leeds had to battle for a 19-12 win on their last visit to Meadow Lane in December, they struggled to beat National Two side Birmingham & Solihull in the quarter-finals and they have just lost their first two league games of the season.
“It’s probably a good time to play a side that is top of the table after they have just suffered a couple of defeats,” Hammond said.
“It’s a chance for us to strike and get a cup win and go to Twickenham. They have got the pressure of wanting to winning the league and knowing that Exeter are now back in the promotion chase.
“We might get a top four place but getting to Twickenham would be a a big thing for us after what we have been through this season.”
Nottingham hope to have centre/full-back Greig Tonks, who is on a dual registration from Guinness Premiership club Leicester Tigers, available for Sunday’s game.
Tonks is in the England Under-20s squad for their final Six Nations match against Scotland at Worcester on Friday.
|
Moseley set for Trophy double-header
