The runs seemed more purposeful, the tackles were crisper, there was a freshness in the springtime air and National Sports Club was awash with sunshine yesterday as Bermuda Irish defeated Bermuda Invitational 64-49 in the 20th Easter Rugby Classic before an enthusiastic crowd.

The Irish borrowed a page out of their storied past to wake up the echoes of other high-scoring affairs, when they stole Bermuda's second grandest rugby show for the second consecutive year. It was also the 11th victory for the Irish since the Classic first began in 1972. The 113 total points was also the most ever for a Classic, eclipsing the mark of 109 in 1991 when Bermuda won their last game by a 72-37 score.

"The people competed very hard but the fierce defence was not there,'' British Lions' out-half Stuart Barnes understated after the game.

Led by 21-year-old Niall Malone, who scored 19 points, the Irish were dogged in their checking and sharp in their offensive zone. Even their support troops of Bermudians played like seasoned veterans with Matt Gorman of Renegades scoring two tries in the second half.

Gorman's Renegades team-mate Dave Taylor opened the high-scoring affair when he scooped up a pass from Colin Lunn and ran in for the try. Malone then missed the conversion, and he was seven for 10 on the afternoon.

The magic of the Easter Classic finally struck Gorman when he found himself on field next to international rugby stars like Barnes, Richard Hill, Ben Clarke and Denis Charvet.

"I didn't even know which team I was going to play for,'' he said. "They are all fairly quick and very good. It was a big thrill.'' French international Charvet, an actor who has appeared in three movies, one opposite Margo Hemmingway, tried to re-write the Classic script on his own with breathtaking whirly-bird runs. His 30-yard sprint and precision-like pass to Barnes, who then scooped the offering over to Eric Fourniols, also of France, finally put the Invitationals on the scoreboard.

Irish proved they were serious when they scored once more after Jim Staples hurtled down the field like a runaway train, over 30 yards, to put them in front 12-7.

Barnes, who has the burden of an English League championship and the Lions' tour of New Zealand heavy on his mind, scored his first try of the game to put the Invitationals within two points. His conversion evened the score at 14-14.

With 24 points -- the most by any player -- Barnes did not disappoint the crowd and he showed emphatically why he is being selected for the Lions tour.

Even with two more first-half tries from Neil Francis and Neil Alexander, who now has the distinction of scoring the 1,000th point in the history of the Classic, Irish suffered their first and only letdown in the game. Seizing control, Bermuda kept up their keep-away tempo, which featured gritty defensive plays. They controlled the action and tempo, whereupon they downshifted behind key scores from Barnes, Hill and Charvet to grab a 35-24 lead at the end of the first half.

Brilliant performances gave their team-mates a huge emotional lift. Barnes did what comes naturally, skaking and baking his way with surges, thrusts and parries. Connecting on all seven of his conversions, fans saw firsthand why Barnes won a title for Bath last season with a 40-yard kick.

Tries by Gorman and Simon Geoghegan put Irish ahead by a scant three points early in the second half. Geoghegan, among rugby's biggest workhorses, turned the second half into his own one-man show, biting and bashing his way towards the Invitational goal-line.

An excruciating hit on Mike Gorrie early in the half left Geoghegan scratching his head and mired in the dust.

Gorrie did not let the bruise on his shoulder bother him either, and scored a try right after being hurt. He was in the clear and gobbled up a pass from Charvet to put Bermuda in front by a slim 40-38 margin.

Scores by Gorman and Colin Lunn, who made up for an embarrassing error in the first half, which resulted in a try by Hill, smartly dived in for a score that left Bermuda counting beans while Irish -- now in front by a 50-42 score -- licked their chops and counted their good fortune.

Barnes scored one more time to put Bermuda within one point of the equaliser, but that was all the Invitationals could muster before trudging out of Bermuda.

Then tries by Geoghegan and Malone slammed the door.

ON THE MOVE -- Bermuda Irish's Matt Gorman tries to turn the corner during this sideline dash.

BARNES-BURNER -- Bermuda Invitational out-half Stuart Barnes eludes a Bermuda Irish tackler during yesterday's Easter Classic. Barnes scored 24 points in the game.