Having won just two of their first ten First Division matches, Moseley have moved to strengthen their three-quarter line with the addition of former Manawatu back Nick Buckley.

The 25-year-old, who is primarily an inside centre, arrived in Birmingham yesterday and will train with his new team-mates for the first time tonight with a view to earning a long-term contract.

Buckley has been brought over on trial for a month in the first instance but, if he impresses, could sign on until the end of the season and give the Billesley Common side much-needed depth in midfield.

Having been promoted at the end of the last campaign, Moseley have struggled to find any fluency in their attacking play, a situation that was exacerbated when loan signing Andy Reay returned to Bristol as part of Richard Hill's first team squad.

With Jody Peacock having returned to Nuneaton following an unsuccessful few weeks in National One, head coach Ian Smith felt he needed to strengthen.

"He comes highly recommended from Bristol academy manager Geoff Moon, who was in Auckland," Smith said. "There is a possibility he could play against Doncaster on Saturday but it depends how quickly he picks up our moves.

"With Andy Reay going on to the upper echelons with Bristol we have only got Paul Cox at the moment and with the way we play, it's an important position. We need to reinforce that area.

"The way we play, we need somebody who makes decisions. That position in some ways is quite similar to fly-half. He needs to be able to react to calls and space, as well as being a good runner with good lines."

Smith also revealed Peacock, who arrived from Liberty Way in the summer, had gone back to the Warwickshire club as they seek to cement their place in National Two.

"He has stepped back of his own volition. He was finding the travelling a little bit much," he explained.

Buckley comes to Moseley with excellent pedigree, having played age-grade rugby at all levels for Auckland and worked his way through the Auckland B side into their National Provincial Championship XV at the end of the 2004 season.

He then moved to Mana-watu, playing in the NPC as well as becoming a full-time Rugby Development Officer only to suffer from a long-term back injury, from which he has now fully recovered.

To start his recuperation, he has been playing this season for College Old Boys, the top club side in Manawatu.

His arrival comes at a good time for Moseley, who are still waiting for clearance for American winger Brian Barnard's work permit and who put in their poorest performance of the season in Saturday's 34-16 defeat at Exeter.

Smith was far from impressed: "We were not there mentally. If we are not 100 per cent, we put ourselves under pressure which is what happened against Exeter," he said.

"We did not front up which was most disappointing, either in the forwards or backs, which is not what we are about. It is probably the first below-par performance we have had this season [2014] every team has them but we can't afford to.

"We have got some really tough games coming and it's only going to get harder. If we perform at our optimum level, then anything could happen. If it doesn't, we could struggle."

With the Knights [2014] fresh from victory over Pertemps Bees last weekend [2014] due in Birmingham, Smith knows his team must put the events of Sandy Park behind them.

There will, however, be one consequence in the shape of Neil Mason's knee injury which the club expect to put him out for between eight and 12 weeks. The flanker will have a scan this week.

Nathan Bressington could be back for the visit of Doncaster after recovering from a hamstring injury he picked up against Bees last month. n Otley's Dan Hyde has been suspended for six weeks after being cited by Moseley for an incident in their match last month. Moseley took exception when Hyde clashed with Tom Warren and was found to have kneed the flanker, breaking his ribs.