Phil Maynard stirs up Moseley for revenge over Coventry
By Brian Dick, Coventry Telegraph
April 29 2010
PHIL Maynard has evoked memories of Moseley’s painful past ahead of this weekend’s decisive relegation play offs. Coventry must beat Rotherham at home to be sure of retaining their place in the Championship and condemning local rivals Bees to the drop. Even if they don’t Cov could still survive if the Solihull side lose a high-stakes derby with neighbours Moseley.
And while the rugby director knows events at Billesley Common won’t matter if Cov can repeat the result with which they started the regular season several months and lifetimes ago, he would be much happier if Moseley helped him out as well.
Which is why he has reminded the Birmingham outfit of the role Bees played in their relegation at the end of a horror 2002-03 campaign that condemned the Red and Blacks to three seasons in the third tier.
The sides played twice that term as a Bees side coached by Maynard and containing several former Moseley players did the double by winning 68-14 at Sharmans Cross and 55-0 at Bournbrook. And while he was none too keen to highlight his own role in Moseley’s downfall, he was more than happy to remind them how B&S lorded it over them for several seasons.
“I know the Bees thoroughly enjoyed relegating them in 2003,” Maynard said. “I am sure they will be trying to reverse that next time.
“But what happens at Moseley will be irrelevant compared to what happens at Butts Park.
“If Moseley want to go out on a high or a low that’s down to them. We have just got to go and beat Rotherham. Four points will do. It’s difficult to say what’s going to come down the road.
“Rotherham are a difficult side with dangerous runners and if they play without any kind of pattern or fear of losing they are a dangerous team to play.”
Especially dangerous if Coventry play as poorly as they did at Billesley last Saturday. It was a match they were never in – a fact lamented by Maynard.
“You have to take your hat off to Moseley. I thought they stuck at it really well and thought their forwards gave a good, powerful performance.”
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Anyway - seriously. Good luck for tomorrow. Look forward to continuing a proper local derby next season.
COME ON COV
“I know the Bees thoroughly enjoyed relegating them in 2003,” Maynard said.
Just typical foot-in-mouth-Maynard. Be so much better if he just kept his trap shut for a change.
Subsequently mose could be less inclined to beat mose this time around to teach PM a lesson!
Having said all that, when its 15 against 15 on the pitch today, i dont think it will make any difference. I think both teams will want to win.