Exe-rated show forgotten - Ian

Sep 26 2008 By Paul Bolton

MOSELEY’S head coach Ian Smith insists last week’s trouncing at Exeter has already been erased from the memory banks as his players prepare for tomorrow’s National One game against Otley at Billesley Common.

Former Scotland flanker Smith was disappointed with the approach of his players in the 70-10 reverse at Sandy Park and told them as much in training this week.

But he does not intend to dwell on the negatives and hopes his players will return to the standards they set when they defeated Coventry in their last home game two weeks ago.

“We had a chat about the Exeter game in training on Tuesday, or at least I did, and we know we have got some ground to make up among ourselves,” Smith said.

“But the Exeter game is not something we intend to dwell on. It’s a game that has gone and the main thing is we prepare ourselves for Otley, which will be a different challenge but another physical one.”

Moseley narrowly beat Otley in their last visit to Billesley Common in January 2007, a result that helped to send the Yorkshire club into National Two.

But Otley bounced back at the first attempt, winning the National Two title, and a narrow defeat by Cornish Pirates last week is one that has been noted by Smith.

“They have recruited strongly and although results haven’t gone their way this season, it seems like the game against Cornish Pirates could have gone either way,” he said.

“I think they are still finding their feet in this division. We have been in their position and we know what it is all about.

“They are waiting to find a chink in the armoury of the sides they are playing and we need to make sure we don’t supply them with that chink.”

Moseley expect to welcome back prop George Davis from the shoulder injury that ruled him out of the Exeter game and veteran full-back Andy Binns, who missed the trip to Devon because of a dead leg.

But scrum-half Jimmy Ireland remains sidelined with a shoulder problem that required surgery during the summer though Smith is optimistic the former Newport Gwent Dragons player will be able to resume training early next month.