Malvern RFC

Malvern continue their road to Twickenham as they edge a Northampton Old Scouts side in the National Intermediate Cup, to progress to the Semi-final stage of the Midland Section of the competition, two more wins would see a national semi-final, three a trip to the national final. Stadio Spring Lane was buzzing with anticipation, as this fixture proved to be an entertaining affair with both teams flying high in their respective divisions.

Both teams started off intensely, the first 10 minutes of the game proved to be a real stalemate. Against the run of play, Malvern broke the deadlock. Luke Milton nudged a kick through for Jon Wills to chase. Old Scouts' fullback misjudged the bounce allowing Wills to pounce on the ball, securing the first points for Malvern. The home side increased their lead through a Dan Batty penalty, allowing some breathing space for Malvern.

Old Scouts' started to ease their way into the game. As they won a penalty within kicking distance, but the attempt was unsuccessful. It went from bad to worse for Old Scouts' as their flanker was sent to the sin bin after repeated offences for going in through the side of the ruck. Malvern were quick to take the upper hand of their one-man advantage. They set up a good position inside the opposition's 22, as the ball was passed out to Wills as he grabbed his second try of the game. This gave Malvern a 15 point lead heading into half-time.

Malvern looked to protect their lead after the break, however, it didn’t start off well. Dan Batty was shown a yellow card for repeated offences inside the visitor’s attacking third. Old Scouts' were quick to use their extra man. A quick tap penalty allowed their flyhalf to wrestle his way over the whitewash for a vital try. Soon after, Malvern started to switch off with Old Scouts' beginning to play some dominant rugby. They managed to grab another converted try. This reduced the deficit to one point, making the Spring Lane crowd very nervy going into the last part of the match.

As they battled to regain their lead, Malvern looked to the bench for reinforcements. Coming off the bench, Josh Herbert busted through tackles to offload to a charging Dan Batty. This created a 2-on-1 for Laurie Essenhigh to run in for the score, this came to much relief for the Malvern supporters. The game was then clinched for Malvern, after the ball was put through the hands for Lewis Hardiman to score in the corner. This game showcased Malvern’s determination and hard-battling defence to grind out a crucial win against a tough opposition. Malvern now await to see who they will face in the next round of the competition, with all eyes on the final.

However, next week Malvern’s focus will be averted back to their league campaign. As they welcome high-flying Stratford Upon Avon to Spring Lane. This game promises to be a feisty encounter with both teams battling for the league title and promotion.

Up The Vern!

Ash Bajwa

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