Paul Hodgson admits he was delighted to return from injury in Saturday’s LV= Cup clash against Saracens.
The scrum-half came on as a second-half replacement for Jonny Arr for his first appearance since December’s trip to Sale Sharks.
He said: “I felt good out there. The legs were burning a bit but I did feel good. My idea was to try and pick the tempo up.
“It’s frustrating being injured. I’ve been lucky throughout my career but as a player it’s always tough to miss out on games.”
Saracens won 22-12 on a windy afternoon at Sixways as they secured a quarter-final place with their third victory of the competition.
But, according to Hodgson, his side will aim to build on the positive aspects of Saturday’s performance when they return to Aviva Premiership action at Bath on Saturday.
He continued: “I always see the cup as half full and there were positives against Saracens. We outscored them two tries to one and we showed some attacking intent.
“We will work on getting the balance right. We’ll take the positives and crack on – it’s the only way to do it in sport.”
With nine league games remaining this season, Hodgson says he is relishing the challenge of trying to regain the number nine shirt.
And, with four players vying for a starting spot at scrum-half, he believes the competition will drive the players forward during the next block of games.
“It’s good to have decent scrum-halves at the club. We’ve got Jonny Arr, Shaun Perry and Ollie Frost in the mix as well,” he added.
“Number nine is one of those positions where we’ve got strong competition and that can only make each individual a better player. And that healthy contest is what we need for the rest of the season.”
“It’s frustrating being injured. I’ve been lucky throughout my career but as a player it’s always tough to miss out on games.”