A 13-9 loss on Sunday saw only the second defeat in 12 games for Buist’s side, but he stated in the build-up to Friday: “There is a great morale around the squad at the moment, and we’re determined to put Sunday behind us.

“This week has been shorter than usual with the game on Sunday and then another this Friday, so we have had to be sensible in our preparation to make sure we are all ready.

“We had a bit of a video nasty on Monday, and have identified plenty of things which went wrong, so the players all know what they have to do. Rob hit it on the head after the game with his comments, and the main feeling in the team was disappointment.

“The players didn’t execute what we had been told to do, and we let everyone down with the performance. Having said that, despite playing so bad we still almost won the game, which added even more to the frustration because we know we could have had the points if we’d turned up.”

A philosophical Buist added: “We aren’t just brushing it away as a one-off, because if we’re honest we’ve had far too many of those this season, especially at home.

“We have been in good form, but the fact is we’re not out of the relegation fight yet.

“Despite getting some good wins under our belt in the last few months we can’t back off at all, and the players have all learnt the lessons from last weekend.”

With Leicester depleted by international call-ups, Buist said of the travelling Tigers: “If you were going to pick a time to play them then maybe this would be it, but having said that, when you look at their side they still have a class line-up for the game.

“It will be a real battle, and we can take a lot of heart from the way we played down at Welford Road in October when we drew with them at full strength.

“Had it not been for some very strange officiating with the famous conversion then we would have had the win, but that’s history now and we’re just focusing on Friday’s return match.”