Having spent the first few weeks of the season schlepping the length and breadth of the country one wonders where Moseley would choose to kick off their British & Irish Cup campaign.
Billesley Common? Heaven knows they’d love the cash flow. Ealing? A first trip to Vallis Way would certainly be interesting. Leinster? Who doesn’t love Dublin and the concomitant leisure opportunities? Unfortunately Kevin Maggs and his men will have to wait for such pleasures.
Instead this weekend’s B&I Cup curtain-raiser comes in a country where Moseley have not won a competitive fixture in many a decade, against opponents who subjected them to one of their most uncomfortable defeats in recent seasons.
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Yet a trip to Wales, to play Cross Keys at Pandy Park is the latest stop on the Red and Black fun bus which has already been to Doncaster, Plymouth and Penzance in the first month of the campaign.
It will be their fifth attempt at winning in the Principality and coincidentally their fifth attempt at winning anywhere this season – and even though many of the faces have changed from previous visits, Moseley’s players – even the Welsh ones – will not have many happy memories of wearing the Red and Black on the border’s t’other side.
Each opponent, Llanelli, Aberavon, Keys, poses its own questions but if the last five years of the B&I Cup have told us anything, it’s that the Welsh don’t countenance losing to the English on their own soil.
Indeed opportunities to match themselves against Championship teams are viewed with great relish and – as Moseley have found out to their cost – often the odd rising star will find his way from the regions into the local line-up.
Rugby correspondent Brian Dick looks back at an uncomfortable recent past characterised by a warm reception off the field and a white hot one on it.
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23/02/2010 Aberavon (a) L 10?0
Torrential conditions that led to the postponement of Moseley’s first scheduled visit to Wales were barely better when the match with the Wizards was eventually staged.
Driving rain, a sodden pitch, plenty of niggle, Mose were hit with two sucker punches by a side that refused to take a backwards step. Indeed Aberavon’s indomitable spirit produced Moseley’s first shut out in three years and difficult viewing for then head coach Ian Smith.
Early on Marc Breeze rode a maul for 5-0 then in the closing stages Wales international-in-waiting Justin Tipuric scored the game clincher.
In between Moseley were dominant in the scrum and went for tries rather than the posts but were unable to break down a home team that defended like the Lions Tipuric would go on to join.
27/02/2010 Llanelli (a) L 35?21
A few days later future England international Ben Morgan inspired Llanelli to an 18-0 first-half lead to condemn Moseley to a winless first B&I Cup campaign. The Parc y Scarlets outfit joined compatriots Aberavon, Ulster, London Welsh and Bedford in ending Smith’s team’s interest in the inaugural competition.
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Moseley never recovered from a dismal first-half show although typically they made a fist of it in the second.
Ryan Bayliss, Travis Knoyle, Chris Keenan and Aaron Shingler all crossed for the hosts, while converted tries by Tristan Roberts, Andy Hall and Dan Oselton made it 25-21 going into the final minutes. But it was too little too late.
12/11/2011 Cross Keys (a) L 42?3
The South Wales Argus described the visitors’ efforts thus: “It has to be pointed out that Moseley were rank awful, an embarrassment for a Championship club.” Ouch.
As ever it was a second-string line-up that took to the field and misleadingly shot into a 3-0 lead that told nothing of the carnage to follow.
Moseley were absolutely beasted in the forwards and although it took 33 minutes for the floodgates to open, once they did there was a try tidal wave.
Two from Leon Andrews and one apiece for Nathan Trowbridge, Jevon Groves and Kristian Baller ended what is arguably Mose’s worst ever B&I showing.
20/01/2013 Llanelli (a) 40?17
But even that compared favourably to the disappointment experienced at Parc y Scarlets in January. Mose went needing a point to secure a place in the last eight and £10,000.
But mindful of their insecure league position Maggs sent out a makeshift backline. Rising Leicester star Owen Williams roasted him for it in freezing, snowbound conditions. Happy days.