Hughes quits Malvern job (From Ledbury Reporter)

Hughes quits Malvern job

3:10pm Tuesday 23rd October 2012 in Sport

LIAM Hughes, 28, has opted to step down from the role of director of rugby after five years with the Spring Lane club.

Hughes, who moved up to the position from head coach at the end of last season, felt pressures of work meant he could not devote the time he felt necessary to Malvern’s players.

Former first-teamers Phil Rawle and Gareth Richards will lead the coaching for tomorrow’s home clash, and they will be aided by Gloucester full-back Rob Cook who coaches part-time with the town team.

The club’s new coaching set-up will be announced after the weekend.

This weekend’s opponents from Reading were initially tipped as possible promotion contenders at the start of the season but have suffered a few setbacks and lie only two positions above ninth-placed Malvern.

However, they are known to have a big pack and last week they thrashed struggling Maidenhead, who are second from bottom, by more than 60 points.

While Redingensians were busy putting Maidenhead to the sword, Malvern snatched a 29-28 defeat from the jaws of victory at previously-winless Oxford Harlequins.

However, Malvern skipper Matt Williams is convinced the game at Oxford proved the low point of the season and, with Adam Dixon and Nick Miller back to strengthen the spine of the team, tomorrow should see a far better performance. With crucial games coming up in the next six weeks, the emphasis will be on grinding out results to narrow the gap on the chasing pack as most of the top teams play each other.