RFU Championship: Moseley 13 Bristol 13

Another week, another draw, another familiar refrain – we could have won, we have to be more ambitious.

Just as they did against Cornish Pirates, Moseley mounted a second-half comeback to secure a share of the points against a fancied, full-time outfit.

But just as he did after that 26-26 draw last Saturday week, Ian Smith was left to wonder what might have been had his side played with more enterprise.

Once more a fearsomely committed display was built on a redoubtable pack and a consistent goal-kicker and while there were one or two promising attacks from their backs, they continue to form the icing rather than an integral part of the cake.

Which is why their head coach knows for all their effort Moseley have to employ the rapier as well as the blunderbuss.

“We moved on slightly from Cornish Pirates but I don’t think we are anywhere near where we need to be,” Smith admitted.

“There are so many good things that we are doing which are making us effective, difficult to breakdown and difficult to beat.

“But we must strive for more balance and more options. If we think we are doing well we may get caught with our pants down a little bit later on. We have got to keep striving to push the limits and be a little bit bolder.

“Our start-up play is not where we need it to be, once we get a bit of front-foot ball we can be effective but we have got to work to get it.

“It did flicker at times, we made the right options and the right calls and the try Cavesy scored was so simple it was unbelievable.

“That was because we got behind them and used the space effectively. We have got to get behind teams in a less obvious way.”

But they also need to stop getting behind teams on the scoreboard. Bristol built a 13-6 lead and would have been further ahead had Adrian Jarvis not missed four of his five shots at goal.

But mistake of the match had to go to ex-Mose man Jack Adams, who fell over his own feet and fumbled in the act of crossing the home line. The centre clearly retains some affection for his former club.

That restricted Bristol to two tries against Moseley’s one, Adam Caves’ head-down effort that levelled the scores.

MOSELEY: Carter; Styles, MacBurnie, Reay, Pons J (Bressington 58); Davies, Taylor (De La Harpe 78); Voisey (Sigley 64), Caves, Sigley (Stott 61), Lyons, Spivey, Maltman, Pennycook, Evans. Replacements: Protherough, Pons B, Gillick

BRISTOL: Marsden; Tovey, Adams, Fatialofa, Watkins; Jarvis (Barnes 73), Bolt (Alford 65); Irish, Hayes (Blaney 63), Vunipola, Sambucetti (Winters 55), Barry (Glynn 55), Grieve, Merriman, Montagu. Replacement: Brockett