WARRIORS director of rugby Dean Ryan has admitted his side have a lot of work to do to reach the level of their Premiership counterparts Exeter Chiefs after their crushing defeat on Saturday.
Despite London Irish and Newcastle Falcons losing at the weekend, securing Warriors Aviva Premiership status next season, Ryan has said it was a ‘difficult’ day for his side after their 50-12 defeat at Sandy park and insists the result doesn’t reflect the club as a team.
“It shows we’re not at their level. We were running on empty against a side super-charged for its first European quarter-final on Saturday,” Ryan said.
“They did a lot of damage to us in the first 30 minutes even though the scoreboard didn’t reflect it and they played faster and were more physical than us. We were trying to hang on so you could tell the second half was going to be tough.
“We lost three guys before the game and then lost three in it through yellow cards. You can’t do that against a side like Exeter. Everything they do is faster and more clinical. They got on top of us and they’re very good at stressing teams.
“Full credit to our squad for winning five of their last six games though in what’s probably been the most difficult time for the club, so we need the week’s rest.
“We don’t want the season to just drift away. We want to finish the way we’ve been playing recently so we have to ensure we get players fit and on the field,” he added.