LUDLOW are gearing up for one of their biggest games of the season when they host relegation rivals Stratford tomorrow in rugby’s Midlands West One survival tussle.
A glance at the league table illustrates the importance of the Linney showdown with Ludlow lying sixth from bottom, two places and three points above their Warwickshire visitors.
After suffering an emphatic 48-10 loss at Worcester Wanderers last weekend, the south Shropshire men will be anxious to hit back as they bid to keep their quest for safety on track.
With three going down at the end of the season, there is plenty at stake despite the fact the bottom two – Dunlop and Bedworth - have fallen well adrift.
So the stakes are high tomorrow as Ludlow seek to put the record straight after suffering a narrow defeat when the sides met earlier in the season.
“We played badly that day, and it is the one game this season that we’ve lost that we felt we should have won,” said spokesman Phil Norton.
“Tomorrow’s a massive game, a must-win. We’ve generally done well at home against lower teams this season, and we need that to be the case against Stratford.
“If we win, then we’ve got every chance of surviving in this league as we’ve still got Dunlop and Bedworth to play at home. But if we lose then it brings some doubt.”
Several players who missed last week’s action – including Theo Hodnet, Will Norton, Sam Wilkes, Darren Brick and Chris Harris – could come back into contention.
Some of Ludlow’s players may have had their minds on tomorrow’s game as they suffered a drubbing at Worcester last week.
A Jamie Simpson penalty was all the south Shropshire side could muster in the first half, going in 22-3 down as the home side ran in four tries.
A Joe Doyle try, converted by Simpson, suggested that they could at least compete for a bonus point.
But Worcester extended their lead with more tries, the first following some poor tackling, to leave Ludlow well beaten. Two more touchdowns late on compounded the misery, taking the hosts’ try tally to eight.
“We stuck at it but Worcester showed us what we’ve got to get to in this league,” added Norton.
“They were well-drilled and whenever they had the ball they made an opportunity. They had runners and organisation.”