IT was just like old times at Spring Lane last Saturday as Malvern put in a dazzling performance to match some of the heyday games of the last 10 years.

MALVERN 45PTS, CAMP HILL 25PTS

From the whistle Malvern took the game to the visitors from Birmingham, Taylor, Ruddock and Roberts all featuring early on. Even the blow of an injury to influential scrum-half White, after only seven minutes, didn't disrupt Malvern's concentration, Wilkinson moving to the nine spot, Ott to stand-off and Lamb to full-back.

The Malvern pack set their marker when they shoved the Camp Hill forwards back at the first scrum to win a penalty. Pushing deep into the opposition half, Malvern got the best of a maul, spread the ball wide and there was veteran hooker Irish in support to sprint in for the opening score, Ott slotting over the first of his six conversions.

Camp Hill pulled back a penalty after the restart, but Malvern quickly resumed normal service, Roberts fielding a kick and racing through on the blind side, only to be stopped just short of the line. Burns then chipped and chased through, Camp Hill managed to clear the ball but only as far as Lamb, who set the speedy Ridgers away. He passed, looped round to take the return, then sped through to score under the posts.

Camped in opposition territory, the home forwards mauled their way ever closer to the line, and from a scrum, put in a controlled drive which saw Gareth Taylor ground the ball for a score.

Returning upfield, the pack drove over the line again, but the referee adjudged the ball to have been knocked forward. Irish then took the Camp Hill put in against the head, twice in succession and Camp Hill offended on the line to force the referee to award a penalty try. The visitors managed a second penalty just before half-time.

Camp Hill came out more positive after the break, moving the ball well, but Malvern soaked up the early pressure and countered with a strong run from Burns and Anderson went close with a typical barnstorming gallop.

The emphasis of the game changed when the highly influential Vince Hill was sent to the sin bin after an altercation, and Camp Hill made good use of the extra man advantage, running in two tries with Ott scoring a penalty in between.

Back to full strength, Malvern took control again and Ridgers once again showed his class, when his seemingly ineffective kick ahead saw him turn on the gas to collect and speed through the defence for his second of the day.

Camp Hill pulled a rather fortunate score back when an awkward high kick was fumbled and the chasing backs gathered to score, but Malvern had the last say when Ben Lamb, so cool in the unfamiliar full back slot, fielded a clearance and wove through the Camp Hill defence to score a fine try.