Head Coach Richard Hill admitted indiscipline had cost his Worcester Warriors as they failed to capitalise on a flying opening half hour in the Amlin Challenge Cup opener with Stade Francais at Sixways.
Blistering tries from Chris Pennell and Marcel Garvey ensured Warriors enjoyed a dream return to the competition in the opening quarter of the fixture to race into a 14-0 lead.
But the boot of international star Felipe Contempomi – who contributed 18 points – saw the French side slowly work their way back in front before Paul Sackey to ensure Stade claimed a 23-14 victory.
“After the first 30 minutes we looked like we were going to have a decent night and made a great start,” said Hill.
“But we fizzled out a little bit and lost a few lineouts and gave away a silly penalty at the side of the scrum at the end of the first half. To be far to Stade Francais, they crawled their way back into the game.
“Unfortunately six penalties in a row in the second half, and too many of those in kickable positions, saw us lose momentum and initiative. We gave away some silly penalties.
“To get six penalties against you on your own ground, when you don’t get one until right at the end, was most unusual. We didn’t get too much tonight and too many favours.
“Stade Francais worked their way back into it and we are also disappointed by their try. It looked like they knocked it on under the posts and our players are incensed about that and so were the crowd.
“But we didn’t back up the first 30 minutes with the same sort of play. We didn’t get too much field position in their half. You have also got to win your set piece ball and that was the reason that our possession dried up.”
Hill added that the high penalty count had hurt his team, but praised the manner in which they refused to let their heads drop in the face of second half adversity.
“In this country, if you give four penalties one way then the next 50/50 tends to go your way,” admitted Hill.
“I’m on the touchline and I can see what Stade Francais are doing, they are very streetwise.
“But you can’t go through the whole second half and just give one penalty in the dying seconds when a game is over. There are two teams in it.
“It was difficult for our lads, but to be fair they kept going. The heads did not go down, even when they were getting nothing and no decisions or scrums. Stade would knock on and it wouldn’t get seen, but they didn’t get too frustrated.”
The Sixways coach also revealed his thinking behind moving the impressive Joe Carlisle into the centres as Warriors hunted a late score to force their way back into the encounter.
“It was an experiment and we felt, as we needed to score a try as we weren’t going to get a penalty, by putting an extra attacker in things could open up,” he concluded.
“If we need to win a game with a try at the end then maybe we can look at two tens and Joe, with his ability to pass very well off either hand, gives us an extra attacking option.
“It went okay and could be maybe something we look at in the last 20 minutes. But Dale is our captain and a fantastic defender who leads by example. He is a tough man to leave out at any stage.”