SOUTHEND Saxons’ director of rugby Josh Ward insists his side are learning valuable lessons this season.

Southend won promotion as Regional Two Anglia champions last term and enjoyed a brilliant 29 match winning streak.

But Saturday’s 52-35 defeat at Tring was the Saxons’ third in a row.

And Ward was disappointed with the first half which saw Tring leading 38-0 at the break.

“We were incredibly frustrated and disappointed with how the first 40 went but to Tring’s credit they pounced on any mistake we made,” said Ward.

“They scored a number of tries in that first half but for us the most frustrating thing was our unforced error count.

“That’s the difference between what we had last year and what we’re coming up against this year.

“Mistakes equal points nine times out of 10 but we regrouped at half-time and the one thing that can never be questioned about the group is its resilience and character.”

Southend were far stronger in the second half and Ward feels the team will take positives from bouncing back from the slow start.

“We came out and scored some good tries ourselves,” said Ward.

“Realistically the two tries they got in the second half were a missed pass and a missed one on one so there were plenty of positives to take in terms of the response the group.

“But ultimately we’ve got to learn pretty quickly that we’ve got to connect a full 80 minute performance and not dip in and out of contests.”

Southend, who sit seventh in the standings, take on unbeaten league leaders Letchworth Garden City at Warners Bridge this weekend.

And Ward knows Saxons will again be looking to upset the odds.

“We were under no illusions that we were going to win every game this season,” said Ward.

“We’re ultimately underdogs most weeks but for us it’s about making sure we’re honest and reflective.

“We learn as quickly as possible so we're not making the same mistakes.

“There’s positives we take every week and there are a hell of a lot of things we need to learn as we go and improve on too.

“The unforced error count is the one stat that really grates on us so we’re looking forward to this week and hopefully getting a more holistic performance on Saturday.”