With Greene King IPA Championship league leaders Bristol coming to the Richmond Athletic Ground this weekend, it would only be right to interview the man who spent four seasons at Ashton Gate and made 94 appearances for Bristol, Ben Mosses.
Mosses joined London Scottish in the summer ahead of the 2017/18 season and has been one of the Scots stand out performers making fifteen appearances and scoring six tries along the way.
Mosses was spotted as a talent from a young age, he attended the prestigious Millfield school on a rugby scholarship and was part of a fantasy-like team with his illustrious list of teammates including current England Internationals Mako Vunipola, Jonathan Joseph, Henry Thomas and England 7s flyer Ollie Lindsay Hague to name just a few.
“It was a ridiculous team and we were playing so well. From that we started to pick up rugby contract offers, I was fortunate enough to be signed up by Bath Rugby and went there on a 2 year contract straight from school.”
Mosses continued his rich vein of form once he had left his school days behind him. “I absolutely loved my first year at Bath, playing rugby as job was mental, and getting some game time, it was awesome.”
After a great start, a few things didn’t quite go to plan for Mosses at Bath and he was loaned out to local rivals Bristol. Mosses quickly rekindled his love for the game whilst in the West Country. “Playing every week in the Championship at a young age in a completely new environment was great, I was really developing there. It was great until our first year in the Premiership, I played at the beginning of the season but was injured after four games and that’s pretty much all she wrote.”
After Bristol were relegated from the Premiership back down to the Championship and four seasons with the club, Mosses thought it was time to move on from the West Country side and seek pastures new. London Scottish was a big draw for the French-born centre.
“My family is from London, my girlfriend is also based in the capital, so those are two obvious big draws. I also wanted to play as much as possible and I thought I would get that opportunity here.”
Mosses was also another of the many players to compliment London Scottish and Angus Stewart for the tireless work they put in behind the scenes helping players look past rugby and start thinking what the next steps in their career will be.
“Angus has been brilliant, he has not only helped me but also my girlfriend. Not only with work experience or meeting the right people but also just checking up on us seeing if we’re alright and settled. That means a lot and I’m very grateful for it.”
“I can’t advertise enough for guys who might be looking at London Scottish, the help you receive off the field if you’re looking at getting into work is second to none. This club provides the platform for players to stay playing at the top level of the game whilst also exploring other avenues. It potentially allows you to leapfrog where you would have started a career without help from the club. It’s the perfect opportunity to mix rugby and work.”
Mosses missed the last encounter away from The Athletic Ground against Bristol in October but he’s relishing the opportunity to take on the league leaders.
“I’m not nervous at all, I’m excited, it’s going to be awesome to take them on and try and turn them over. They are unbeaten and it would be awesome to be ‘that’ team who broke their winning streak.”
Mosses mentions that the squad has a ‘nothing to lose’ mentality heading into Saturday but admits there is more to the game than a mentality and although he is mates with many of the players from his time at Bristol, a win for London Scottish is still top of his wish list.
“They are coming in with a lot of confidence thinking the season is pretty much wrapped up but at the same time it’s a massive opportunity for us lads to spoil the party. I know a few of the lads and obviously I’m really happy for them to be doing so well but that does not change the fact I want to get one over them.”
Ben is sponsored by SKI BLANC. Holidays in Meribel
Reflecting on his first season with Scottish, Mosses holds frustrations at some tight results, much like many of the other players but is ambitious and enthusiastic about the last few games of the season.
“We’ve been the ‘almost’ team, we’ve always been on the wrong side of a decision or not managed to close out a game. If three or four of those games go the other way, we are sitting comfortably in mid-table and could be looking up the table, rather than down it. That’s obviously a key work on for us, closing out of those tight games.”
April 28th and the final game of the season against Yorkshire Carnegie is only around the corner and Mosses knows there’s still a lot of improving to be done in the squad until then and wants to try and drive the Scots up the Championship ladder.
“Climbing up the table is paramount, that will help with recruitment next year. We are a much better side than where we are now. It’s also an opportunity to blood some new players. We haven’t performed as a group so why not give these younger lads a try at Championship level, that could put us in good stead moving forward.”
Mosses is an extremely talented and experienced player for Scottish and has been the figurehead for the side in both attack and defence this season. Although he will be going up against a few of his good mates this weekend, he still has his eyes very much set on turning over his previous employers and derailing their unbeaten season.
Head down to The Athletic Ground for 3pm on Saturday as Mosses and his fellow Scottish teammates take on Championship league leaders Bristol Rugby. BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE
