Jones calls for nerve as London Welsh relegated

LYN Jones has urged London Welsh to “hold their nerve” after they were consigned to finishing bottom of the Aviva Premiership and left facing relegation.

But off-the-field issues are rife, with Welsh’s majority shareholder Kelvin Bryon claiming yesterday that he is pulling out and speculation mounting that club chief executive Tony Copsey will also quit.

There was no official confirmation, though, from the club of any departures following yesterday’s 31-14 home defeat against Northampton.

“You have got to take it one step at a time,” the head coach said. “It’s the Championship for us. We’ve been there before, we understand the league,” Jones added.

“It is a two-year cycle, and we are halfway through. What happens at board level is not for me to comment upon. What the club has to do is simply hold its nerve.”

Northampton’s bonus-point victory took them closer to securing a Premiership play-off place.

Welsh, however, were left an unassailable 12 points behind 11th-placed London Irish with just two games left.

In the two other Premiership matches played yesterday, leaders Saracens beat Worcester 47-17 to secure a home semi-final in the play-offs while second-placed Leicester moved closer to sealing the other home semi-final spot with a 35-16 mauling of Wasps, scoring five tries in the process.