Smith excited at organising Moseley’s talent

During his five-year tenure at Moseley Ian Smith’s way has been an under-stated evolution rather than lavish and rapid revolution. It is a policy that has served the club well and not only guided them from Bournbrook to Billesley Common but from National Two to the Championship via Twickenham. Those facts don’t lie.

So it will be with something of a double-take that a Moseley team featuring eight new faces will run out for the start of the new 12-team second tier at home to Exeter tomorrow.

That is not to suggest the former Scotland international has changed his philosophy, nor eschewed squad consistency for a wholesale overhaul, it is merely the end point of a series of circumstances.

Chief amongst those is an injury situation that deprives the head coach of the familiar faces of Neil Mason, James Rodwell, Gareth Taylor, Andy Reay and Mark Evans before a ball has been kicked in anger.

Another factor is the fluid nature of their dual registration agreement with Gloucester which has seen the first generation grow up and fly the nest. Jack Adams and Dan Norton must now stand on their own twinkling feet with Bristol.

In their place come Charlie Simpson-Daniel, Freddie Burns and the hugely exciting outside centre Jonny May.

And there is of course the good old recession, ironically for Moseley a force for good that has compelled established elite players like Andy Hall and Andy Williams to drop to a lower level as Premiership and Magners League clubs cut their playing staff.

All of which goes into comprising an untested Moseley side that attempts to repel the Chiefs’ revenge mission following their double-header humiliation in March.

The situation is particularly acute in the back row. Chevvy Pennycook, the openside brought in to replace Richie Bignell, has damaged his shoulder without making his debut.

That means a makeshift trio of Hall, normally a lock, Harry Rowland and Ryan Wilson must do their best to fight for club and county.

Smith prefers to call the prospect ‘exciting’.

“It is going to be tremendously exciting,” he says. “We have got some undoubted talent but we know organisation is a key component in our sport.”

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