Bedford Blues 28

Moseley 15

A try, several turnovers and a tackle count back where it should be, this match might just be remembered as the day the real Neil Mason finally stepped forward.

Don't make the mistake of thinking the 28-year-old is yet close to his barnstorming best, indeed one hopes Moseley never return to the bad old days when their talismanic flanker used to be their only means of advancing the ball.

For far too long the 'Wag'll do it' mindset prevailed at Billesley Common, in which many of his team-mates subconsciously turned to him when the hard yards needed making.

With Chevvy Pennycook, Ben Pons and David Lyons in the pack, willing runners at half backs and a couple of centres who love nothing more than a bit of contact those days are at an end.

But the former mini and junior remains a key component in the Red and Black machine and until recently he was one that was not operating at maximum output.

That's because this season has been a pig of a campaign, one in which he has been unable to escape the knocks and niggles that come with his straight-forward approach to the game.

A knee injury here or an eye problem there had all reduced Mason's output and limited him to 15 starts in 27 games.

But those starts are becoming more frequent, lasting longer and are considerably more inflential. The old legs are pumping again and the hope is that where their captain leads Moseley will follow.

And what better timing? With seven games remaining - assuming they don't extend their run in the British & Irish Cup at Sixways next Saturday - Mason feels as though he is finally getting into the groove.

With half a dozen key relegation battles on the horizon that is excellent news for Ian Smith who will finally be able to select the ex Worcester flanker in expectation rather than hope.

The evidence? Not so much the 1m try midway through the first half, as the courageous turnover inside his own 22 in the second as Bedford threatened to overwhelm the visitors.

Even more so the driving attacks around the fringes that were once again hurting the opposition and the big hits that put them on their backsides.

Moseley will need Mason in the coming weeks and the fact he is starting to respond to the call should give them considerable confidence.

BEDFORD: Thrower (Bassett 52); Schmidt, Bedford, Vass, Pritchard; Dorrian (Sharp 63), Chudley (Veenendaal 58); Walsh, Richmond (Clark 63), Seal (Boot 58), Howard (Tomes 67), Rae, Gillanders, Lewitt (Goodman 55), Tupai
MOSELEY: Carter; Bressington, Armitage, Bishop (Munro 53), Bishay; Borgen (Davies 53), De La Harpe; Voisey (Williams 67), Warner, Sigley, Lyons, Stott (Evans 46), Mason, Pons (Maltman 58), Maidment. Replacements: Caves, Taylor
Referee: Terry Hall (RFU)