Scores from Adam Thompstone, David Mele and Jordan Crane put Tigers 25-3 ahead as the Round One game approached its final 22 minutes, but the home side only claimed a fourth try from Vereniki Goneva in the last attack of the match.
“We’ve got to be happy with a bonus-point win in Round One,” said back coach Burke.
“But at the same time we’re unhappy with parts of our game and we fell off in the third quarter of the game, which allowed them back into it. Our ball control dropped and we slipped off too many tackles which gave them the chance to claim some momentum. They capitalised on that and got back into the game.
“But to get the fourth try in the end from Niki is a real positive.”
Two quickfire scores from Warriors cut their deficit to 10 points at 25-15 before wing Goneva wriggled his way to the line to score with just six seconds remaining on the clock.
“We wanted to play and we started well,” said Burke. “But our urgency was poor at times and we allowed them to stifle us.
“Then we got ourselves back together, got some composure again and finished strongly.
“There’s a massive difference between your pre-season games when you are making lots of changes and your first game in the Aviva Premiership. It’s the first hit-out of the season and there were a few guys playing their first league games at Welford Road. We’ll look at the tape, look at what happened and then we’ll work to improve going down to Bath next weekend.
“As coaches and as a group of players, we’ll feel unhappy with elements of the performance, but down the line that is five points on the board in Round One and that is very important.”
