The Rugby Paper

Sam keeps Moseley dreaming of the joy of six

- By DAVID LAWRENCE

kept their hopes of a top-six finish alive with an entertaini­ng victory over their south London visitors.

They had the bonus point wrapped up just 90 seconds after the half-time interval, and wrapped things up on their final home game with a try from fly-half Sam Hollings- worth, who finished the game with 13 points.

Two early tries from the Red and Blacks put them in control early on, Ciaran Moore starting and finishing a flowing move on 16 minutes with back-row Chris Brightwell dotting down in the corner three minutes later.

Rosslyn Park hauled their way back into the game though, and they levMOSELEY elled the scores thanks to a back-row double.

Firstly Hugo Ellis clattered over from close range before flanker Mark MacFarlane was driven over from a lineout, Harry Leonard converting the latter.

But tries either side of the interval steered the Billesley Common side to victory. Laurence Cowan acrobatica­lly grounded the ball in the corner after benefiting from a delightful sleight of hand from second-row Aaron Crofts.

And then nippy winger Sam Pointon out-witted Park pair Charles Amesbury and Jack Gash, darting between the two of them to snaffle Sam Brown’s towering kick before racing to the posts.

Hollingswo­rth’s conversioi­n opened up a 24-12 lead

and when the visitors had winger Ben Marfo sent to the sin bin just after the hour, Moseley took full advantage to wrap up the win.

Intense pressure on the line saw the Londoners buckle and Hollingswo­rth was left free to score beneath the posts, giving himself a simple conversion.

There was a glimmer of hope for Rosslyn Park when replacemen­t scrumhalf Rory Bland danced his way over the line, Leonard kicking the extras.

But Moseley held their nerve to see out the win with Hollingswo­rth slotting over a late penalty ahead of prop Tom Fidler being sent to the sin bin in the final few seconds, to no effect on the scoreboard.

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