Crucial time for Malvern (From Malvern Gazette)

Crucial time for Malvern

4:00pm Wednesday 2nd January 2008 in Sport

MALVERN RFC First XV face a "crucial month" of action, according to director of rugby David Robins.

The Midlands Two West leaders host second-place Lichfield on Saturday (2.15pm) and fourth-placed Hereford on January 19.

Robins said: "It's a crucial month with the Lichfield fixture and then Hereford away a fortnight later, punctuated by an away North Midlands Cup tie at Bromsgrove.

"We need to shake off the post-Christmas torpor and put in some great performances if we are to cement our position at the top of the league."

Malvern won 11-5 at Longlevens in a friendly last Saturday and Robins was frustrated with the referee.

The Spring Lane director of rugby said: "With few opportunities to look at some of our emerging players, I was looking forward to seeing some of them in action.

"Unfortunately, the shambles caused by such poor control of play meant that nobody was able to reach anything approaching a normal standard of rugby.

"Even one of our members, a qualified referee himself, could not believe what was happening on the field, which at times descended to the level of farce."