Match Preview

Match preview –Bees v Old Halesonians NMC Semi final Saturday 2nd January

Local derby cup semi final set to kick start 2016 for the Bees

The Bees open the curtain on 2016 with an eagerly awaited North Midlands Cup semi final against local rivals Old Halesonians tomorrow (Saturday 2nd January KO 2.00pm Portway).

It is a number of years since the Bees have competed in the Cup competition and indeed you have to go back 23 years to 1993 when the club’s name was inscribed for the first time upon the trophy.

League form can often go out of the window in cup encounters, which is probably no bad thing from a Birmingham & Solihull Rugby Club perspective given our respective current standings in the National League 3 Midlands table.

Old Halesonians came out on top when the two sides met in the league back in November. Then, the visitors ran out 7-25 winners at Portway in a game that was shaped by contrasting performances across two haves and two red cards.

However the Bees can take much heart from their performance in their last league outing before Christmas at Bromsgrove, where they lost narrowly after playing 73 minutes with 14 men.

It was an equally gutsy performance against Bromsgrove in the previous round of the cup (winning 32-37 AET in October) which put them into tomorrow’s semi final.

Two tries in the second period of extra time clinched the victory after a Jack Jolly penalty in the final kick of normal time brought the scores level at 27-27. Flanker Matt Spink then forced his way through a number of last-ditch Bromsgrove tackles to secure a memorable win for the visitors with two minutes of extra time remaining.

Old Hales’ route was a little easier, with a walk over against Hereford. However, they have a proven pedigree in this competition, being current NMC holders (beating Whitchurch 52-6 in last year’s final).

The winner of Saturday’s game will face either Bridgnorth or Newport (Salop) in the final, which is scheduled to be played on 8th May.

Speaking ahead of the game, Bees’ Head of Rugby Ian Matthews said “This is very much a keenly awaited North Midlands Cup semi-final. Following a closely fought encounter in the league earlier in this season, this game is certain to warm the cockles of every supporter’s heart and provide excellent entertainment to blow away the festive period cobwebs.”

“During recent months, the Bees squad has continued to strengthen with a mixture of new recruits, injured players returning to the mix and young players growing and developing into 1st XV players.”

“The players have had a decent break from the game following a gutsy and brave performance against Bromsgrove. Whilst this period has been a break from playing, the entire squad have been putting in the training hours in the gym away from their team mates as the fitness levels of the team continue to improve.“

“In the pack we are delighted to announce the extension of Matt Tibbatts’ loan from Chinnor until the end of the season. He has made a huge impact both in attack and defence. Competition in the front row continues to increase with Marcus Tomlinson and Kurtis Payne both now returning from arm injuries that have kept them on the sidelines in recent weeks.”

“In the engine room, skipper Chris Goddard has hit a rich vein of form and - alongside the ever impressive Matt Spink - are providing real cut and thrust. In the backs, Mitch McGahan continues to grow in confidence with each game as his influence over the team develops. In the outside backs Arron Wilson scored twice against Bromsgrove and offers a real threat on both the wing and in the centre.”

Birmingham & Solihull team selected v Old Halesonians Saturday 2nd January 2.00pm KO:-, Sam Davenport, Chris Fensome, Francis Denny, Arron Wilson, Nyle Beckett, Mitchell McGahan, Martin Hooker, Matt Tibbatts, Ashley Scriven, Darren Forder, Matt Spink, Chris Goddard ©, Kurtis Payne, Zane Raimondi, Dan Toth. Replacements – Pete Koziot, Lewis Lawlor and Brian Sibiya.