London Welsh are set to turn professional next season after head coach Martin Jones this week revealed sweeping changes designed for an assault on promotion.

The Exiles are safely embedded in mid-table in National Division One having earned back-to-back wins with a vital 20-12 victory at Newbury on Saturday.

With the RFU making noises about reducing the league from 16 to 12 teams, Jones admitted the club are looking to shake things up by going fully professional.

The club had told the likes of scrum-half Allen Chilten - once critical of a switch to a full-time set-up in the past - he was free to leave the club.

But in something of a u-turn, the Exiles are ready to shift the goal posts to secure Chilten's future after Jones insisted there would still be a place for talented players unable or unwilling to commit.

"The league has really taken off in the past three to four years and we have struggled to keep pace," he said.

"We know with the squad we have we are not good enough.

"We want a professional squad of 24 players who are able to train every day.

"So far we have 12 guys who have committed for next year, although we will probably keep on another eight on semi-pro deals.

"We would not expect someone like Allen, who has a city job and is financially secure, to give that up."

The RFU has refused to reveal their exact plans for restructuring, but spokesman Simon Mills agreed the principles were in place.

"We are looking to drive up standards," he said.

"We want National Division One to resemble more closely the Guinness Premiership and we will be looking at reducing the number of teams over the next few seasons."

The Exiles are able to flex their financial muscles thanks to the bankrolling efforts of chairman Kelvin Bryon of Basildon Chemicals.

But Jones admitted that having the monetary clout brings its own pressure.

He added: "Kelvin has put the money in that is enabling us to take this next step.

"He has invested a lot of money and, obviously, we have to give them some reward."

Saturday's win went a long way to easing that pressure, with first-half tries from Chilten and Paul Mackey proving decisive.

The second half saw Exiles forced to dig in as Newbury fought back with Martin Nutt crossing for his second try, but Matt Jones's late penalty proved decisive for Welsh.

And Jones revealed his delight at his side's display.

He added: "We scored two cracking tries in the first half and then we defended for our lives in the second half.

"The defence throughout the second half showed a lot of character.

"We are really playing well at the moment and I hope that continues."

The Exiles travel to mid-table Moseley on Saturday.