YESTERDAY'S defeat to Northampton Saints was another ocassion when Wasps were found wanting in attack.

Despite dominating the first half hour and the last 20 minutes, they were unable to score enough points while Saints turned more limited possession into something significantly more.

It's becoming something of a recurring theme - think Exeter in the first half, Newcastle all game, Worcester in both games. The sharp edge that cut Saracens and Leicester hasn't been reproduced since.

Director of rugby Dai Young said: "We had a lot of ball and on ocassion we were really struggling to get any penetration. I think we matched them for long periods but we need to be more clinical.

"In the first half we controlled the game, all the momentum was with us, all the pressure was with us and they were only in the game through penalty kicks. But we didn't get enough points on the board. We didn't build any score and we need to look at it.

"When they had that pressure they came away with points. That's the difference between a very good team that's contending and a team that's working hard to get better every week."

Wasps will have been disappointed to turn 12-8 down, but the equation got a whole lot worse before the hour as Saints crossed twice and built the lead further with kicks.

Young said: "Something we talked about was our period after half time. It isn't our best period, and tonight it was our worst period. You have to give Northampton a lot of credit for that as well. They stepped up the ante, had a really big 20 minutes which got them in front, and once they get in front they've got all that experience and they know how to play the game."

Wasps reacted well in the final quarter, but Ross Filipo's try was only a consolation.

Young said: "Last season they absolutely stuffed us twice. That didn't happen and I thought there were quite a few positives tonight. Not enough of them, but quite a few.

"We feel that the score didn't reflect the game, that perhaps it was closer than it suggested, but it takes a good team to beat them. You get very limited opportunities. We had opportunities and we didn't take them."