Bees director of rugby Russell Earnshaw has called for someone to step forward and fill the leadership vacuum he fears he is leaving behind at Damson Park.
Earnshaw, who is also a coach with the England Sevens squad, is off to Delhi on Saturday to take part in the Commonwealth Games.
Backs coach Eugene Martin takes over all command but Earnshaw leaves the club at a time when they have not taken a single point from their opening five matches and on the back of one of the worst performances in a long while.
That came against Plymouth Albion last weekend in a game that pitted together the Championship’s bottom two.
But despite being within a point at half time, Bees capitulated in the second period and were thrashed 36-18 in a manner that was of serious concern to the back rower.
Particularly so when No.8 Mark Hopley was forced off with a hamstring injury that will keep him out for the next month.
“I am leaving behind a leadership void that somebody needs to step into pretty quickly,” Earnshaw said.
“Hoppers coming off injured had an impact on us when it shouldn’t have. Some one needs to seize this now but on the pitch I just do not see it at the moment.
“There are some experienced boys out there, they need to start doing it.”
Bees’ cause will not be help by the fact that their best player, Simon Hunt, is also heading off to India with Ben Ryan’s squad as is scrum half John Brake.
Hunt’s absence will be particularly hard felt with Anthony Elliott still recovering from a head injury and full back Tom Foden struggling for form.
The Bees trio will miss this weekend’s trip to Rotherham, who have not lost at home yet and whom Bees have only beaten once in ten years, and the visit from Esher the following week.
Having wasted a good opportunity against Plymouth it is imperative the Solihull side take advantage of a home match with another team that is likely to be in the lower half of the table by the end of the season.
The situation is made more acute by the fact Bees face Bedford, Nottingham, London Welsh and Cornish Pirates in November, a run of fixtures that on current form does not look likely to produce many points.
