Jones Says Wales Ready To Take Next Step On International Stage

Head coach Zak Jones is confident Wales will build on their successful World League campaign after finishing fourth in Rd 2.

The squad beat higher-ranked opponents Poland and Scotland to finish second in their pool in Belfast.

And after seeing off Italy in the quarter-finals, Wales lost 3-1 to the hosts and 2016 Olympians Ireland in the semi-finals.

That set-up another game with Scotland whose 4-0 victory earned them 3rd place overall as the defeat against Ireland took its toll on Wales.

Jones, whose side were ranked eighth going into the tournament, said: “Despite the obvious disappointment around how the tournament ended, I am very proud of the squad and how they performed and carried themselves throughout.

“On reflection the positives far outweigh the negatives.

“We have made huge progress in terms of our structures and principles over the course of the World League cycle and the guys delivered some very good performances during the tournament.

“The fact that we ran Ireland so close in the semi final and were so disappointed not to come through it, is a real indicator of the progress we have made and the level of expectation within the group.”

Wales, who won Rd 1 last September, will hope the displays in Belfast see a rise in the world rankings as they look to future tournaments.

Jones added: “Both the players and coaching staff also gained some very valuable learning about how fine the margins are when you are competing with teams at the next level.

“That learning has already helped us to clearly identify the key areas we now need to improve and develop upon in order to make the next steps and take our game to the next level.

“As a collective, we will be working very hard in these areas to make the necessary improvements that will allow us to deliver more consistent, and ultimately successful performances at the business end of high ranking tournaments.”