MIKE COMAN admits the nature of recent defeats have been difficult for the London Irish players to take – but he is keen to focus on the positives.
For the second week in a row, the Exiles were beaten at Madejski by a margin of just one score with a 17-13 defeat to Wasps and are now five points adrift at the foot of the Aviva Premiership table, having been second-bottom before those losses.
Following the 22-18 reverse to Bath, London Irish managed to get their noses in front against Wasps and led 13-5 heading into the final 20 minutes thanks to an Alex Lewington try and good kicking from Tommy Bell.
But two quick-fire tries from Wasps turned the game around to go 17-13 up and they closed out the win.
And Coman said it has been tough mentally to come away with little reward from the last two performances.
“Yeah, there’s no denying it,” he told The Wokingham Paper.
“Initially after the game the boys are disappointed and you can either go one of two ways about it.
“You can sort of feel sorry for yourself and think we’re not where we want to be at this point. That’s not the case here at all.
“We’ve just got to focus on week to week and improving and I think we are improving.
“It started last year in the Championship, we set goals in terms of what we want to be as a club. I think we’re still positive and we’re still working hard.
“All we can do is come in on Monday and try to improve again and believe that what we’re doing will eventually come good for us.”
It was a tight first half on Sunday with Irish reduced to 14 men on 22 minutes when New Zealander Ben Franks was given a yellow card for persistent infringement at the scrum.
But the hosts defended doggedly against a usually potent Wasps attack and they even got their noses in front at 3-0 going into half-time thanks to a Bell penalty.
And when Lewington intercepted and charged clear to score shortly after the restart, Nick Kennedy must have sensed his side’s first league victory since the opening day.
However, the visitors found gaps in the defence to swing the game back in their favour with Ashley Johnson, Josh Bassett and Nizaam Carr all crossing the whitewash.
“It’s fine margins in these games,” said Coman.
“Switching off for those small two minutes of a phase and you get punished for it. We’ve got to stay positive and believe in what we’re doing and I’m sure things will turn around.
“I think we’ve fixed the problem of starting slow but I think Sunday was a learning curve for us.
“We were leading and we haven’t been leading in a lot of games. We probably just needed to keep our head and keep playing and not sit on the lead.”
Things get no easier this weekend when Irish travel to face an in-form Gloucester.
A young Exiles side were thrashed 47-7 at Kingsholm in the Anglo-Welsh Cup a few weeks ago and Gloucester have won six from six at home in all competitions.
And Coman says it is one of the toughest places to play.
“It’s a fairly passionate group of fans down there and we are under no illusions that we’re going to have to be at our very best to beat them,” he said.
“I think we’ve just got to focus on ourselves and understand the challenge that’s ahead of us.
“They’re a very dangerous side. They like to move the ball around.
“We’ve got to be aware defensively and alert to that because they’re going to have a crack at us no doubt from anywhere.
“But it’s exciting too because it can present opportunities.
“You’ve just got to embrace it and enjoy the challenge.”
And Nick Kennedy has named his side for the trip with Harry Elrington handed a first Premiership start in the front row.
Scott Steele comes off the bench to start while fellow Scot Gordon Reid returns from injury on the bench.
LONDON IRISH XV: Marshall, Cokanasiga, Mulchrone, McLean, Lewington, Bell, Steele, Elrington, Paice (c), du Plessis, van der Merwe, Paulo, Coman, Northcote-Green, Cowan.
Reps: Woolstencroft, Reid, Hoskins, De Chaves, Treviranus, Meehan, Tonks, Fowlie.
