Northampton Saints director of rugby Phil Dowson wants to see an improvement in his side’s discipline after they suffered a second Prem defeat at the weekend.
The reigning champions came unstuck at a sodden Mattioli Woods Welford Road, losing 28-7 to local rivals Leicester Tigers, going pointless in the second half after holding a slender four-point lead at the break.
The momentum totally changed in the second 40 minutes after England team-mates Henry Pollock and Ollie Chessum were involved in an altercation as they headed towards the changing rooms at half-time.
Dowson is looking for his side to keep their composure and recapture the quality they showed in an incredible 71-48 victory over Bath earlier this month.
Saints next host league leaders Gloucester in a mouthwatering clash at Franklin’s Gardens on Saturday [17:30 GMT].
“First half, we were pretty happy with, but second half we didn’t execute like we have been doing which was the frustration and the reason why the players were particularly disappointed,” Dowson told BBC Radio Northampton.
“In those conditions, discipline is obviously a huge factor, and we gave away far too many penalties which is annoying and something we’ve talked about before.
“Staying within system, but doing it really aggressively, is a real hard balance to do, and we didn’t get that right at the weekend. You don’t need to be a hero and we need to trust what we’re doing.
“Committing to our plan will be one thing, discipline will be another, and that swing in momentum is something we need to be better at dealing with.”
