Ludlow chief Jones keen to kick on
Ludlow Rugby Club head coach Mikey Jones has been reflecting on a super season for the south Shropshire surprise package – and has challenged them to achieve bigger and better things next term.
Promoted to Midlands One West, the Linney men have not only established themselves at the highest level they have been at for years, but beaten some of the more fancied sides along the way including high-fliers Hereford and Whitchurch.
With the season finishing early due to the coronavirus crisis, Ludlow finished in seventh spot with 10 wins from 21 games – and had forged an impressive home record at their their Linney base with eight wins after a draw on the opening day of the season. “Overall if you had said to me at the start of the season we would finish seventh, I’d have snapped your hand off,” said a delighted Jones.
“A lot of teams thought it might have been too big a step up for the teams that came up, but it shows that you can step up and survive.
“We know our home form has been good, but next season we have to be on top away from home as well and catapult ourselves up the league even more.
“We would like to really push on and see how high up the league we can get.”
And Jones added that the RFU ending the season early was the right thing to do.
“Nobody knows how long this virus will take to clear,” he added. “If we started again it would be a funny end to the season – it could suit some teams more than others.
“It might do some sides good to have a good break or some sides not good. So, finish it now is probably the best best idea.
And while the players will get a break, Jones will turn his attentions to next season – whenever that might start.
“I’ll leave it a few weeks,” added Jones. “Give the players chance to settle down again.
“And then we start to build again as it gives me an extra month or so to get stuck into it and, hopefully, attract one or two more players.”
