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Setter is aware he has tough job on his hands [Herald, The (Plymouth, England)](Herald, The (Plymouth, England) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) NEW Ivybridge rugby chief Paul Setter has warned there is a lot of work ahead to get the relegated club back on track. The Bridgers plunged back into the Western Counties West League after a two-season stay in South West One. It was the first time in their history the South Hams club had managed to stay in South West One for any longer than for one season. They got away with only winning four league games in their first season back in South West One, but the drop was inevitable after the Bridgers managed just one victory last term. Spenser Owen, the head coach who had steered Ivybridge to unexpected promotion two seasons ago, was asked to step down. Setter, in a complete overhaul of the way the club is run, has been promoted from joint coaching the club's hugely successful colts to Ivybridge's director of rugby. He will oversee rugby operations throughout the season, assisted by coaches such as Neil Thomson, who also worked with the colts last year. Another familiar face on the coaching staff for next season is former Tamar Saracens supremo Mark Malone, who left the city club more than a season ago. Setter, whose son Cameron has made his mark with Devon and who played frequently for last year's first team, is under no illusions about his new role. The Ivybridge director of rugby said: "This is as new to me as anybody else, and my aim is not to win leagues, or anything. What we need to do is to consolidate in the first season. "What I want to see is players out there, playing rugby, through our colts, our third team and our second team. "Some of the colts will be going off to university - my lad will - but three or four of them will still be around. "There's one or two of the other players who may want to leave, but I've already been around looking for players and I've got four or five who want to join Ivybridge." The Bridgers suffered from disastrously bad luck last season, Owen having to field young players untried in South West One as his experienced personnel were cut down by injury. As a result, the beleaguered former head coach was unable to field the same team for two consecutive weeks. Setter, though, is confident Ivybridge can move on from a season which saw them having to concede a match for the first time in their history because they couldn't raise enough front-row players. He said: "We've got some fantastic facilities here, including two new pitches which cost the club Pounds 220,000. "And we have had great success with the colts, who lost twice in four years. "Yes, I believe that Ivybridge should be in South West One, but there's no point in rushing it, only to come straight back down again. "I think there's not much difference between Western Counties West and South West One and I think we have proved that. What we have got to do is all work hard together, but it's not going to be easy next season and it's not going to be perfect - it's going to be a bit hit and miss sometimes." (c) 2011 ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved. |