Russell Earnshaw’s insistence his Birmigham & Solihull side had the capability to be a good one might have been familiar, but that does not make it wrong.
Even on the day Bees were relegated, beaten by local rivals Moseley in the Championship play-offs, the director of rugby backed his vanquished team’s potential and pointed to matches throughout the campaign when they destroyed better- backed opponents.
But he also lamented their failure to fulfil that promise on a more regular basis and cited their inability to string positive performances together as the reason they now find themselves in National One.
“There were forward passes, knock-ons, basic skills – it’s not like we don’t focus on them but we weren’t good enough were we?" he said.
"Credit to Moseley, Plymouth and Esher – they have dealt with the play-offs really well and come through it. I can’t say I am ecstatic for them but they have got their rewards.
“We just weren’t good enough. Over a season, over these six games. The frustration is that I think we have got the players, we have shown that in parts, but it’s been consistency that’s killed us.
“Moseley have worked just as hard as us. They had a good plan, they stuck to it, their ball retention was significantly better than ours. Not holding on to the ball has cost us pure and simple.”
And it’s not only cost Birmingham & Solihull their place in the Championship.
It’s cost them £300,000, too.
