LONDON Welsh head coach Lyn Jones vowed to bounce straight back after seeing his side relegated from the Aviva Premiership yesterday, writes MICHAEL KNOX.

After the 31-14 home defeat against Northampton Saints, Jones said: “I’m coming away sad that we are down, but buoyed by the performance and effort the players put in today.

“The forwards were quite outstanding against a very strong pack and I was pleased with the way we applied ourselves.

“Some of our play was five-star, but some of it was one-star.

“For the future, you have got to take it one step at a time. “It’s now the Championship for us. “We’ve been there before, we understand the league.

“It is a two-year cycle, and we are halfway through it. “You concentrate on what you can influence and that is what I have been trying to do here. “I have tried to make sure the players approach the game in as professional a manner as they possibly can and do their jobs. “On the field, we’ve been competitive. “There is lots of spirit and lots of good at London Welsh and we need to build on that.

“It is not about getting knocked down, it’s about how we get up and address the coming months.”

He added: “Some players were a bit tearful after the game, not because of relegation, but because of the result. I thanked them for their efforts.”

Jones admitted the registration row involving Tyson Keats, which saw the club deducted ten points following a long legal battle did not help the club’s cause.

He said: “I’m sad we didn’t build on our results before Christmas when we put four wins together. “I’d hoped two or three more would have made us safe.

“The row about the registration about a player. It took a lot away from the focus of the club. It took a lot of time and effort.

“The players have become better players, but do you know what, we’ve just not been good enough.”