Skipper Tom Youngs says Leicester Tigers are still paying a high price for errors in accuracy on the pitch.

Defeat at Gloucester on Friday evening saw Tigers slip to seventh in the Gallagher Premiership table ahead of this week’s home fixture against Saracens and hooker Youngs was disappointed by errors and missed opportunities.

“We really believed we could come here and grind out a result,” he said at the final whistle at Kingsholm. “What Gloucester did very well was that when they made a line-break or got in a good position, they executed on it and we couldn’t do that.

“At this level, you cannot afford to do that. We let a few opportunities go through our mistakes. We’re giving ourselves too much to do, away from home especially. Things only have to be a little bit off and it can make it difficult.

“We’re giving everything on the pitch, but on its own that doesn’t mean you get a result. We have to be better. ”

Youngs is convinced Tigers can improve on that accuracy and execution, and plot a way back up the league table.

“We keep talking about learning,” Youngs added. “But in life sometimes it takes longer to learn lessons and we are taking a bit longer.

“It’s a tough part of the season with internationals away and a few injuries on top of that, but it happens and we have to support them and try to carry on.”