Deano rues missed chances after Bristol loss
Finishing with two tries inside the last 10 minutes, Richards said afterwards: “It was a disappointing way to end the season.
“Bristol were a side going for a top-six finish and we were a side who had already been relegated, so it was always going to be tough.
“The most disappointing thing was that we made so many line-breaks, probably the most we’d made all season, but we didn’t manage to convert any of them until right at the end.
“We were creating the opportunities but we just didn’t have the accuracy to finish them off, and that has been the story of our season.”
Crediting Bristol for their victory, the Falcons boss said: “Bristol aren’t a bad side, so credit to them, and they’ve got two or three really good players who make a massive impact on how they play. All of those boys were there today, and they’re a difficult side to beat.
“There were a huge number of handling errors from both sides today which made it a really fragmented game, and we all know it needs to be much better for next season.
“We’re looking for boys who want to be here and who want to put it in, but we know the Championship is a tough league and nothing is a given.
“We need to approach it with the right mind-set, which we will do, and it’s a great chance for the big group of talented young players we have at the club to really push through and make the positions their own.”
