STADIO Spring Lane is turning into a fortress this season as Malvern RFC continue to take steps in the right direction.

Malvern brushed off the impact of missing key players last weekend as they produced a stern defensive performance to shut out Crewe and Nantwich to secure a 22-0 victory at Spring Lane last Saturday. 

Vern were without the likes of fly-half Dan Batty, back-row forward Jack Curtis and lost captain Liam Roleston early in the second-half but were able to pull through for a fourth home win of the season. 

Malvern are yet to lose at Stadio Spring Lane in the 2022/23 Regional 2 West Midlands campaign and have won all four of their matches.

Stand-in outside half Joe Budd was full of praise for his team's ability to "dog it out". 

"It was a tough game, really tight but we managed to pull away at the end a bit," said Budd.

"The boys really stood up and played with plenty of heart, it was a great performance from everyone on the pitch. 

"We lost our skipper at the start of the second-half and had a few first team players out and that can really put you down.

"But we showed a lot of heart, that's what we said to each other after the game. We said we wouldn't take a step back, not going to let that put us down and we pulled through."

Budd, a long-term servant of the rugby club, was deployed at fly-half for the game with regular Dan Batty away and despite a few players out of position, the defence never faltered.

"It's a position I have played before but not one I am as used to as scrum-half but the lads around me made it easier for me," he added.

"They ran good lines, defended well and it all shows on the scoreboard with that nil next to their name." 

Malvern head to bottom of the table Droitwich this weekend looking to pick up their first away win of the season.