MARCH Bears Rugby Club’s remarkable renaissance reached new heights on Saturday as they dished out a massive thumping to a shell-shocked Shelford outfit.

Just months ago the Bears tasted morale-crushing hammerings of their own as they struggled to field 15 players. An 87-3 defeat to Ely Development XV and a 69-0 drubbed against Cambridge Exiles left the side with little to smile about.

However, since the appointment of coaches Richard Horne and Carl Moore, the side have win five of their last six games. On Saturday they smashed bottom side Shelford V 75-14 to move comfortably clear of the X.X. Super Deuxieme Nord Merit Table relegation zone.

Bears president Barry Feetham said: “I can’t believe how quickly it’s all changed - we’re all so proud about how our season has turned around.

“At the beginning of the season it was difficult. We were getting tonked, players were getting disillusioned and deserting what some saw as a sinking ship.

“Some of the lads stuck with it and kept turning out when we could only muster 13 and 14 players. They’re getting their rewards now.

“The players are enjoying their rugby again. Appointing Richard and Carl was the best thing to happen to our club in ages.”

Giles Skiba and John Aspinwall bagged a hat-trick during Saturday’s thrashing as the rampant Bears ran in 11 tries. Chris Devany, Josh Rose, Aaron Boxall, Ben Saxby and Matty Day also scored with Day adding another 20 points from his trusted right boot.

A resurgent March travel to Saffron Walden III tomorrow in a re-arranged Greene King Super Deuxieme Cup (Lower) Quarter-Final clash. Joint-coach Horne admitted a good cup run would be “the icing on the cake” of the club’s improvement this season.

Feetham said: “We’re about four or five months ahead of where we expected to be with our three-year plan.

“The coaches have set high standards and the lads deserve praise for starting to reach them. We now go into games saying bring it on - whoever we’re playing.”