Nottingham Safe With Victory Over Moseley

It was tense, dramatic, and everything you might expect from a game with so much at stake. But Nottingham finally clinched the points that guarantee Championship rugby next season by beating Moseley 29-24 at Meadow Lane.

A sparkling first half performance saw them seal a bonus point as they ran in four tries, all from the backs, who put on one of their best displays of the season to open up a 21 point lead.

And yet a disastrous fifteen minute spell at the start of the second half almost saw all that good work evaporate as the visitors crossed the whitewash three times to get back to within a couple of points.

But a Matt Jarvis penalty stopped the rot and the Green and Whites were able to close the game out - just.

George Catchpole's try down the right was the highlight of a nervous opening spell, and Jarvis did particularly well to slot over the conversion from the most difficult of angles.

A minute later, Ryan Hough broke from just outside his own 22 and made it to the line, with Jarvis again on target to make it 14-nil.

Moseley's first threatening attack brought them a close range lineout and their pack powered over, with back row man Oliver Robinson getting the touch down.

Nottingham were on top, though, and, as they piled on the pressure, a lineout steal midway inside the Moseley 22 set up the position for try number three, working the ball across the field for Hough to get his second of the night.

It took some good defence to hold Moseley up as they went for another catch and drive before skipper Dan Montagu broke out of defence to set up another promising attack.

With the visitors' defence stretched prop Ben Evans was sin-binned and Nottingham soon made their advantage count as Henry Purdy broke through; Jarvis making it 26-5 with the conversion.

That gave the Green and whites a 21-point lead at half time - what could possibly go wrong?

Nottingham's near-suicidal propensity for kicking away possession resurfaced and played straight into Moseley's hands as they simply ran it back, with Matt Williams, William Owen and replacement Simon Hunt all tearing through the home defence.

And so from 26-5, Nottingham found themselves with a lead of just two points.

A penalty from Jarvis fifteen minutes from time eased the nerves, but only slightly as a yellow card for Michael Holford soon followed.

Worse still, two kickable penalties - either of which could have left Moseley needing to score twice - were shunned in favour of lineouts, the second of which went straight to the visitors' second row.

And an injury to Tom Calladine - enjoying one of his best games in the Green and White - didn't help either.

A frustrating and nerve-wracking last ten minutes seemed to go on forever, but Nottingham's sheer determination saw them hang on for that badly needed win.

It was left to Dan Montagu to put the ball into touch to signal the end of the game, to the cheers of a greatly relieved Meadow Lane crowd.