Defence coach Scott Baldwin stressed the need for an 80-minute performance as Newcastle Falcons opened their EPCR Challenge Cup campaign with a 24-19 home loss to French side Montpellier.

Speaking after a game which had a grandstand finish, the Welsh international said: “I’m getting seriously bored of saying it’s a valiant effort but another game that passed us by, and I’m sure the players are tired of hearing it.

“We’re putting in so much good work and I’ve seen a lot of growth from the side, but when we make an error we seem to make big ones which cost us points.

“That’s what needs to change, but the players know it and feel it just as much as the coaches and supporters. No-one feels worse after a loss than the players, and I’m not going to stand up here and criticise them.

“Mentally we need to stay in the game for 80 minutes, and it’s almost as if we’re waiting for the opposition to score before we spring into life.

“Montpellier were getting momentum around the rucks, which is an area we’d spoken about during the week, and whilst we did tighten that up in the second half we can’t be giving teams head starts like that.

“We should be doing it from the start, and we shouldn’t need to concede and get a rocket before we start doing things properly. We can’t be that team, because at these sorts of levels the opposition will punish you.”

Newcastle now head to South Africa where they take on the Lions in Johannesburg on Saturday, a challenge to which Baldwin believes the squad can rise.

“The stats will tell you the Lions don’t have a huge amount of ball-in-play time, but having watched them and played against them I can tell you that when it’s in play, it’s extremely fast,” he said.

“There’s obviously the hot weather and the altitude which will be a big change for our boys, but it’s an exciting opportunity and we’re embracing it in a really positive way.

“It’s great to be playing against new opposition and visiting the southern hemisphere, and as well as a great rugby challenge it’s an opportunity for the guys to bond and enjoy the whole experience before we return to the Premiership at home to Bristol the following Friday.”

Tickets for the Gallagher Premiership home date with Bristol Bears on Friday December 22 are on sale by clicking here.