WORCESTER Rugby Club's coach Adrian Skeggs says the devastating defeat at Leeds has made him more determined to succeed.

The Australian, who only arrived at Sixways last summer, has led his side to second place in National One and a points tally that already shows 100 points.

However, such were the expectations of success at the club that many believed Skeggs would either resign after the April 1 defeat at Headingley or face the axe.

The truth though is that Skeggs never thought of walking away and after reassurances over his future by benefactor Cecil Duckworth, he is more focussed than ever on bringing the good times to Worcester.

He said: "I never thought about resigning. It was a very disappointing experience at Leeds for the club and for me personally.

"However, I never thought of walking away. Phil Davies (Leeds' coach) came up to me and said he thought the pressure to win promotion was unfair. He also pointed out that it has taken him four years to build up what we saw that day in Leeds and that you don't just win things in a year."

He added: "The whole experience has made me more determined to succeed here at Worcester. What made me more determined was the support we got at Leeds. I knew then that we can go anywhere with a fan-base like that. Leeds was an example of a top Premiership game and we can have that every week."

Leeds sit on top of National One, a point ahead of Worcester and with a vital game in hand after the 30-13 win over their title rivals. The game was one Worcester had to win if they were to continue their promotion push.

However, while Skeggs is refusing to throw in the towel for this campaign, he is also confident the future is bright at Worcester even if they do have to play in National One next season.

"There are so many positive things at the club and we can be as big as Leicester in the years to come - I have no doubt about it."