Moseley 16 Henley 12 English League Division 1

Despite looking the better all-round side, Henley slipped to a 16-12 defeat against Moseley on an excellent pitch in Birmingham.

In monsoon-like conditions, the game was always going to turn on an error and it was a Hawks slip-up which allowed Moseley to score the only try of the match.

Early in the second half, Henley's backs and forwards were combining in a promising attack just over halfway when prop Dave Penney lost the slippery ball in a tackle.

This gave Moseley's left-wing Andy Gray the opportunity to outstrip a Hawks' defence that was completely wrong-footed. Ben Harvey's conversion made it 13-6.

Although Matt Jones kicked his third and fourth penalty goals, Harvey's drop goal kept Moseley's lead intact.

Henley had superiority in the set scrums for most of the game, while the handling by their backs, given the conditions, was first-class and only a desperate tackle prevented Duncan Roke scoring a try.

The final 15 minutes, with the squalls at the height of their ferocity, saw the Hawks parked in Moseley territory, but they were unable to get that crucial try to swing the verdict.