Hornets feel the sting after surprise jump up the league

IN A sport decided by the most razor-thin margins, experience is one of the most precious things a rugby team can have.

- BEN CONEYBEARE

Unfortunately for Hornets, it was also the one thing they were sorely lacking when they were handed a surprise promotion to National League 2 West at the beginning of last season.

For director of rugby Jon Richardson, the lessons of the divisional reshuffling were both plentiful and sharp. He told The Rugby Paper: “It wasn’t until five weeks after the end of the previous season that we found out we were going up, so for us to have stayed up last year was a massive achievement.

“Not only were we the lowest-ranked side in the league but we also had the least time to prepare. We’re still the new boys. The coaches are learning, the players are learning. We’re all still learning.”