DIRECTOR of rugby Alan Solomons admitted Worcester Warriors let themselves down in the second half as Northampton Saints ran out 35-16 winners at Franklin’s Gardens.

Three Duncan Weir penalties gave Warriors a 9-6 lead at half-time but Saints hit back with five tries to secure an emphatic Gallagher Premiership victory.

Solomons felt Worcester were “still in with a shout” after Tom Collins and Taqele Naiyaravoro crossed to give Saints a 20-9 advantage.

But Solomons could then only watch on in horror as George Furbank struck twice either side of Ollie Sleightholme’s try in the space of six minutes.

“I felt like we were still in the game (at 20-9 down),” Solomons said.

“It was the last 10 minutes of the game when they scored three tries.

“That skewed the scoreline completely.

“Yes, we made the errors and gave them the penalties to get the two tries but to allow them to score three tries in about six minutes was not good.

“The big thing for me was getting a good start and we have certainly did that.

“The opening half was good, but we just let ourselves down (in that second half).

“It’s little things that turn a rugby game.”

Solomons conceded Warriors “should have come away with a little bit more” from the opening period as he thought his side “dominated territory”.

But he was left frustrated by Worcester’s ill-discipline and error count after the interval.

“What we have got to understand at this level is that you get punished for errors and lack of discipline,” Solomons said.

“You go back to those two tries that they got straight after half-time as they came through our mistakes as well as two of the three tries between the 70th and 76th minute.”

Solomons also highlighted two errors by fly-half Jono Lance who replaced Weir on the 55th minute that led to Saints’ late quick-fire double.

Furbank was the beneficiary after Lance’s kick was charged down as the full-back scored in the corner before Saints ran in straight from the restart with Ollie Sleightholme going over two minutes later.

“The defences were on top (at half-time), it was a tight game and we were controlling the territory,” Solomons said.

“I felt that we had the edge in the game and I think the momentum swung with the two tries they got between 46th and 54th minute.

“They came off the back of errors and penalties on our part. Then it stuck at 20-9 so you are still in with a shout at that point.

“But at the 70th minute they got a try and then another.

“For one of the tries they counter-rucked at the breakdown, Jono Lance’s kick was charged down and they scored from it.

“The other came from a kick-off which landed short, straight into the lock’s hands and he goes straight through.”

Northampton boss Chris Boyd was pleased with his side’s second-half fightback in the wet weather as they registered back-to-back victories.

"They weren't conditions that suit us because we like to play a bit and (Warriors) were putting pressure on us so we couldn't get out of that end,” Boyd said.

"Once you get possession and territory then you can start playing a little bit more.

"We struggled in the first half but we got it together in the second half and away we went.”