MALVERN director of rugby Dave Robins is praying for miracle as he prepares to take his Midlands Two West table-topping side to second-placed Hereford.

The Spring Lane chief fears that Saturday's clash at Wyeside will be called off and delay his side's chance to exact revenge on the 26-10 home defeat Hereford inflicted on Malvern back in October.

The Wyeside pitch in Hereford runs alongside the towpaths to the River Wye and, with further torrential rain, Robins believes that barring a miracle the match will not go ahead.

"The weather has been atrocious. I was speaking to the Hereford chairman earlier in the week and he said that the water was already up to the towpaths," Robins said.

"This should be a great game, but it is hard to excited about as I don't expect it to go ahead."

Malvern's preparations for this clash have been severely hampered with the Spring Lane pitch resembling a quagmire following the rain.

Robins was able to get his players out on the pitch to train Tuesday night but conditions stifled what they were able to do, while last night the director of rugby was left looking for somewhere to train after being told that the astroturf at Malvern College was already booked.

"The lads came off covered in mud, we weren't able to do any proper drils or anything like that," Robins said.

Last weekend's North Midlands Cup match at Bromsgrove was postponed and has been re-scheduled for Saturday, February 2.

However, should Saturday's Hereford clash fall foul of the weather, the league game will take precedent and the cup fixture will be put back to February 23.