MALVERN 37PTS, BROMSGROVE 15PTS

LEADING by example, stand-in Malvern skipper Jamie Anderson put in a storming performance to take his side through to the semi-finals of the North Midlands Cup.

Malvern made it a treble over their county neighbours as the pack again set up the platform for a day of open, running rugby, in which Bromsgrove played a full part.

In perfect conditions, the Spring Lane pack drove on from the start, Lambert collected and took the ball on, it was fed to Richard Fleming and the tall centre used his strength to break tackles, and then pop the ball to flanker Dave Hill for the opening score with only two minutes on the clock.

With Anderson firing up the pack, they responded by rucking and mauling for sustained possession and pressure. Gareth Taylor, as always, went about his business with great efficiency, whilst Chris Smith and Nick Tisdale controlled the line-out. With conditions near ideal, both sides were content to run the ball, and when Bromsgrove countered it was winger Ben Lamb who ran Malvern out of trouble.

When the visitors put in a driving maul, Anderson used his strength to hold up the carrier, then Malvern put in two big drives in response, the second resulting in a yellow card and 10 minutes rest for number 8 Gadd as Bromsgrove disrupted illegally.

As Malvern continued to pile on the pressure, they won a scrum and the ball was whipped across the line for full back Chris Hooper to join in the action and score.

With Malvern scenting blood and their tails up, they went on another driving maul, Bromsgrove pulled it down and the penalty was duly put into touch on the five-metre mark. The catch and drive was employed and Shaun Lancett grabbed his 21st try of the season.

Staring defeat in the face at the break, Bromsgrove made a spirited start to the second half and pulled back three points through a Summerfield penalty, then forced their way deep into Malvern territory, winning a penalty and subsequent line-out on the Malvern 22 metre line.

However, they knocked the ball on; Malvern cleared and then fielded the return kick. Anderson went on a rampaging charge, taking any number of defenders with him and fed the ball out for Tukia Muli to run the ball in from 40 metres, Watkins converting.

Hitting a new high, the Malvern forwards continued to sap the strength of their opposite numbers, putting in a 30 metre driving maul followed by a series of pick and drive moves. Muli gathered a Bromsgrove kick ahead and ran out of defence, Hooper saw the opposition defence had poor cover at the back and put in a beautifully flighted kick for the newly arrived George Roberts to collect and run in from 35 metres out.

Just past the hour mark Malvern stole the ball at a Bromsgrove maul, King made the half break and Lamb collected to score.

At 32-3, Malvern brought on the rest of the bench players and whilst they were still bedding in, Bromsgrove, playing for pride, worked their way up field and scored a converted try, stinging Malvern into a reply as Hooper chased a King kick ahead and scored in the corner.

As the clock ran down, a spirited Bromsgrove counter attack gave them another consolation score, but it was the Malvern side that were through to the home semi-final against Whitchurch on April 21.