MALVERN I XV 10, BROAD STREET I XV 56.

MALVERN RFC’S season, already beset by a mounting injury toll, took another serious hit on Saturday as they lost two props by the hour mark, meaning that the game went to uncontested scrums.

According to RFU regulations, it would appear that, as this happened just after the interval with both sides in contention, the match is treated as abandoned and will have to be replayed.

On the field, third-placed Broad Street always represented by a big and mobile pack, put Malvern under some pressure from the kick-off.

Stand-off Dan Richards, the top kicker in the league, showed exactly why after only two minutes, sitting back deep in the pocket to land a drop goal. Simon Daws was taken out by a cynical high tackle to the throat, for some reason only punished by a penalty by the referee.

Then insult was added to injury when he was shown a straight red card in the eighth minute.

The referee adjudged that he was guilty of stamping, when clearing a player who was lying in the ruck. To lose a player so early was always going to put Malvern under the cosh, and the Coventry side immediately went further ahead when Richards chased through to score and convert.

He then added a penalty off the post to leave the visitors 13 points to the good after only 15 minutes.

Malvern showed enormous spirit as they were continuously forced to defend their lines.

Malvern felt the referee failed to spot several off-the–ball pieces of skulduggery which potentially added to Malvern’s injury woes. Dan Batten finally had to leave the field with a back injury and Joe Ling also collected a head wound as Broad Street were awarded a penalty try just before the half-time whistle.

With only one prop available to Malvern, scrums were now uncontested. Malvern started the half brightly and Greg Summers ran in a fine try from 35 metres out to open the Spring Lane side’s account. It then became apparent that neither injured prop was fit to return to the fray.

At this juncture Broad Street weren’t making the extra man count, and Malvern put together some good moves, the ball being whipped out to Summers, who put Tom Beechey away for a good score.

However, as the game went on the Warwickshire men slowly made their superior numbers pay and ran in six tries as Malvern struggled to cope in their stretched defence.

MALVERN RFC: Batten, Humphreys, Ling, Taylor, Doolittle, Edwards,Daws,Rawle, Gwynne, Pimlow, Henshaw, Fleming, Watkins (c), Beechy, Summers. Replacements: Drew, Hooper, Ruddock.

Tries: Summers, Beechy.

Sent off: Daws.

BROAD STREET RFC: Siviter, Southwell, Tatlow, Greevy, Simkiss (c), Mukerati, Morris, Hall, Talbot, Richards, Ross, Challis, Crofts, McGrory, Lester. Reps: Morgan, Simpson, Thatcher.

Tries: McGrory, Lester, Hall (penalty try), Richards.

Referee: Peter Coulthard (Midlands Group).