Red-hot Ludlow hit top gear

Victories against Hereford have been few and far between, but they thoroughly deserved this 20-7 success.

With the exception of the lineout, Hereford were outplayed for 80 minutes and seldom allowed out of their own half during the first period.

Ludlow’s line speed was excellent and the tackling from back row trio Ben Black, Charlie Doyle and Jim Alderson stopped Hereford building phases.

And there was no let up when Alderson went off for a knock and Freddie Brick took over.

The home side’s relentless pressure eventually earned them a penalty under the posts which Will Sparrow duly slotted only for Hereford to take the lead through a penalty try.

But Ludlow hit back straight away. A bit of magic from Sparrow and a hard charge from Joe Doyle saw him score under the posts, with Sparrow adding the conversion.

The second half followed a similar pattern. The Ludlow scrum were well on top, their fitness telling, and the backs, in horrible conditions, somehow making passes stick.

The reliable Sparrow slotted over a penalty to extend their advantage.

And victory was sealed by a fine try from Black. A scrum resulted in good ball, which went down the line to Sparrow, who was hauled down short of the line.

The ball was quickly recycled and it came back towards the opposite wing with Black cutting inside for a smart finish. Sparrow added the conversion to seal a fine display.