Boss Mike Ruddock admitted a lack of accuracy had cost his Worcester Warriors as they suffered a 23-3 defeat to London Wasps at Adams Parl on Sunday.
Tries from Serge Betsen and Tom Varndall condemned Warriors to defeat after a battling display that saw them fight all the way to try and take something from the Guinness Premiership clash.
Ruddock described the final score as ‘unkind’ on his team after the effort they had put into the High Wycombe trip, as a late breakaway try from Varndell hit Worcester as they pushed for a point.
However, the Director of Rugby conceded a lack accuracy in attack ultimately cost Warriors who remain in mid-table.
“We were a difficult team to beat but we weren’t accurate in our attacking game,” said Ruddock.
“Our first attacking lineout was 24 minutes in, but we over threw our lineout and couldn’t get our attack going.
“We battled hard without being accurate. We tried to stay in the game and recognised that we didn’t play as well as we should have done to get a victory.
“We tried to get a bonus point so obviously that breakaway try at the end was a killer for us. But there was no doubt that Wasps were the better team.”
Ruddock praised the Wasps kicking game and urged his team to improve on that before the home clash with Sale Sharks at Sixways Stadium next Saturday (kick-off 3pm).
“You are only really able to run the possession off the right type of ball,” added Ruddock.
“With the new tackle area law, if you try and run when you haven’t got numbers in attack and are back in your own 22 then it is difficult to guarantee you are going to recycle the ball every time you go through the phases.
“Wasps were very good at getting to the ball and turning us over. What we had to do was kick better so that we could contest the aerial ball.
“I thought that was a feature of Wasps game, they kicked a lot of ball but they actually contested it better than us.
“Chris Latham took some great high balls, yet even he was under a huge amount of pressure and dropped one or two and knocked them on.
“This is a feature of the modern game with the laws the way they are – there will be a lot of kicking and really pressuring the receiver.
“We kicked at times, which was the right thing to do because we lacked quick ball to attack, but we didn’t get our chase right the same way that Wasps did.”