The problem is when the wind doesn't blow down the Billesley Common pitch, it takes a while for the tactical mist to clear.
Indeed it took the worst part of 50 flaccid minutes on a breezeless spring evening for Moseley to see a clear way past Plymouth.
Once they did though, it was strangely simple. Work hard to win the ball, even harder to keep it and wait for opponents short on confidence to implode. And so it came to pass.
Which was perhaps a little more pragmatic than the romantics among us had hoped, those who had believed the pre-match propaganda about flinging the ball around and winning matches with a hailstorm of tries. More fool us.
If the last two years have taught us anything it is that first round play-off matches are not occasions for flash Harry antics.
Neither are they occasions for the primacy of performances over results. The winning of home matches is imperative, no matter how heinously ugly the victories, and Moseley will look at the ten points they now have on the board and feel considerable satisfaction.
And they should be lauded for managing what was a difficult situation extremely well - in the end.
After all it would have been easy to have unraveled when Craig Voisey, their first choice tighthead prop was forced off with a suspected broken arm after just ten minutes.
With Plymouth flying up at them, their ball carriers impotent and their discipline letting them down they did well to maintain a foothold in the game, although at 17-6 down with 44 minutes gone it was really more of a toenail hold.
By the time Albion's Ruairi Cushion had finished off an incongruously slick blindside counter-attack, though, the tide had already turned. Moseley were already starting to act with more conviction and their important players had started to have an impact.
Ollie Thomas ate up huge tracts of real estate as he kicked down the slope and the Moseley kick chase made it count.
Back rowers Chevvy Pennycook and Neil Mason started to shed tacklers and scrum half Sam Brown began to inject more tempo into his side's attacking.
And as they retained possession the visitors' belief wilted. Buoyed by their 12-6 interval lead, through four James Love penalties compared to two from Thomas, the Devonians became less and less able to protect their glass jaw as Pennycook and Mason thudded into them.
Thomas picked away at the 11-point lead with a couple more penalties and then on the hour, after a well-executed catch and drive lineout Adam Caves bashed his way over the line to level the scores.
Thomas's imperious conversion gave Moseley their first lead and as Plymouth chased the game, their handling and discipline went to pot.
Moseley's remarkable kicker landed a couple more penalties, the last one on the final play of the game, to deny Albion even a loss bonus, which was probably a little cruel on Nat Saumi's game side.
But it had taken just half-an-hour of composed and calculated play from Moseley to unsettle the men from Brickfields, something that will cause considerable consternation down the M5.
And for Moseley, they have won their opening play-off match for the first time. Wouldn't it be nice if they used that springboard to embark on a composed and ultimately enjoyable end to the season. Maybe, even, with a few tries but most importantly with three or four more wins.
MOSELEY:Carter; Thomas, King, Reay, Hunt; Davies, Brown; Gadd, Caves, Voisey (Quigley 10), Lyons (Sanderson 67), Spivey, Mason, Ellery, Pennycook. Replacements: O'Donnell, Tyas, Maltman, De La Harpe, Robinson
PLYMOUTH: Tu'ipulotu; Love, Bailey, Armitage, Arnott; Roberts, Cushion; Morton, Vickers, Hopkins (Andrew 80), Hotson, Stephen, Stupple, Sprangle (Hocking 66), Carpenter. Replacements: Lewis, Johns, Dugard, Freestone, Lockley,
Referee: Matthew Carley (RFU)
