Northampton Saints beaten 28-7 at Leicester as Dowson calls for better discipline

Northampton Saints lost 28-7 to Leicester Tigers at Welford Road, and their director of rugby, Phil Dowson, said the side must cut out the indiscipline that is costing them. It was their second defeat of the Gallagher Premiership season, the top flight of English club rugby.

Northampton went in at half-time with a four-point lead, but they did not score in the second half. Leicester pulled away after the break, and the scoreline shows how quickly a close game can slip. BBC Sport reported that Dowson wants his players to be more disciplined, a point he has returned to after a match where penalties and cards can decide who controls the territory and the ball.

The mood also turned physical as the teams walked off at half-time. Northampton's Henry Pollock and Leicester's Ollie Chessum were involved in an altercation on the way towards the changing rooms. Nobody was hurt in the incident.

Northampton also lost England fly-half Fin Smith to a calf injury. He was replaced by Ollie Sleightholme for the final 10 minutes, and he is now a doubt for the next match. The fly-half runs the attack and kicks for position, so the club will be hoping he is fit.

Dowson called the result "a bitter pill" in comments on the club's website. He is not the first coach to talk about discipline in the wake of a defeat, but the point carries weight here because Saints have shown they can score heavily. Earlier this month they beat Bath 71-48 in a match that produced 18 tries between the two sides, and Dowson pushed back against the idea that rugby has gone soft.

Saturday's test comes quickly. Northampton host league leaders Gloucester at Franklin's Gardens at 17:30 GMT. Gloucester beat Bath 23-5 at Kingsholm, and they finished eighth in the Premiership last season, so their rise has been fast.

For Northampton, the question is simple. Can they keep their discipline and their scoring together for 80 minutes? A side that gives away needless penalties hands the opposition easy field position, and it is hard to recover from that against a team at the top of the table. The answer will show quickly, on Saturday afternoon.