MALVERN retained third place in the Midlands Two West table, behind also winners Hinckley and Burton, after their win against Stafford on Saturday.

Malvern's director of rugby, David Robins, said he had been impressed by his side's performance, especially with the ball in hand.

Robins continued: "This was vintage Malvern rugby, with five fine tries. We were strong in the scrum, although our line-out work needs some attention. However, our back row unit was functioning extremely well, with Nigel Richardson making an impact.

"Next week we face a far sterner test, away to Newbold, who are very hard to beat on their own turf. For us to harbour any realistic chance of being in the promotion places, we have to aim for a win in every remaining game."

Kick-off at Newbold is at 2.15pm.