Newcastle Falcons boss Steve Diamond admitted his side needed to be more streetwise despite an improved second-half showing in Friday’s home loss to Bath Rugby.

Speaking after the 28-17 defeat, the consultant director of rugby said: “Our scrum and our driving maul were very good, and we can pick out these isolated units and say such-and-such went well today, but we’ve got to come out of each other’s lanes as players and coaches.

“Our discipline was poor. Three needless penalties saw is putting pressure on ourselves in that first half, and you can’t do that against a side with the likes of Finn Russell, Ollie Lawrence and Cam Redpath. You give those lads field position and they’ll kill you.

“We just couldn’t handle it, we weren’t streetwise, Bath were cheating well and we weren’t – and it’s a bit of a learning for us.

“I’m not too distressed. I was fed up on the final whistle, fair enough, but we’ve got a big game down at Gloucester next weekend and then a massive re-set when we return on July 1 for pre-season.

“I thought our supporters were also really good tonight, yet again. They’ve stuck with the team when there’s not been much to cheer about, and I know everyone at the club will want to thank them for the backing they’ve brought over the whole season.”

With his side winning the second half 7-0 and enjoying scrum dominance throughout, Diamond admitted the first-half performance was what cost them in the final reckoning.

“In the first half we had a clear opportunity when Cammy Hutch made the line-break but didn’t get his pass away, and when your confidence as a team is low those are the kinds of opportunities you don’t take,” he said.

“He did all the hard work and we just couldn’t convert. As I say, it’s confidence, and that comes from winning games. I’m here to build that up, but we’ve not won a league game in well over a year. We haven’t got that bank of results to rely on for our belief, and we’re all in uncharted waters here.

“The way we rallied in the last ten minutes of the first half, and then pretty much the whole of the second half, was really good. But it’s not good enough when you’ve already shipped a four-try bonus point.

“I’m not worried, though, because I know the attitude that’s in the building and I know what the lads will bring who are coming in. We just want to get the monkey off our backs by beating Gloucester next weekend, and we’ll be going all-out to do that.

“People say Gloucester have a Challenge Cup final the week after and they might rotate their selection, but I‘m not buying that. They’ll not want to lose at home in their last league game of the season, and it’ll be fired-up down there.

“The fans don’t like me at Gloucester, so that will be fun, but we respect them as a team and we’ll be ready for a tough contest.”