Harlequins chief Conor O’Shea admits improvement is needed after three Aviva Premiership defeats in their first six games.
The Stoop outfit were beaten 22-16 by Leicester at Welford Road as the Tigers ended a three game losing streak to ease the pressure on director of rugby Richard Cockerill.
Blaine Scully crossed over after just four minutes, while Owen Williams navigated the rain to kick 17 points from the tee and Cockerill insisted their pragmatic approach to the game paid off.
Quins fly-half Nick Evans kicked three penalties of his own, as well as converting Karl Dickson’s late try, but the visitors were playing catch up as soon as Scully dotted down.
“They controlled the territory and they won the kicking game. We know we’re not playing the way we like to and the way we can,” said O’Shea.
“The one time we actually got into their 22 and held onto the ball, we scored, but if you don’t hold onto the ball you’re not going to do that.
“We knew the Tigers would come out firing but it wasn’t the greatest match, was it? It was two teams that were pretty tense but they got on top.
“We’re not where we want to be, we know that, but it’s a long season and we will fight and we know we’ll get better as the season goes on.
“There was always going to be one team that was going to be pretty disappointed coming away from here and it’s us but we won’t be downhearted.”
Leicester Tigers: Tait, Scully, Tuilagi, Williams, Goneva, Burns, Youngs (Mele 72), Rizzo (Ayerza 47), Ghiraldini, Balmain, Thorn, Kitchener, Gibson, Salvi, Crane
Replacements not used: Briggs, Pasquali, de Chaves, Barbieri, Harrison, Benjamin
Harlequins: Brown, Yarde, Hopper, Casson (Lowe 40), Tikoirotuma, Evans, Dickson, Marler, Gray (Ward 18), Collier (Sinckler 67), Matthews, Robson, Wallace, Robshaw, Easter
Replacements not used: Marfo, Twomey, Trayfoot, Stuart, Lindsay-Hague
Scorers
Leicester Tigers
Tries: Scully
Conversions: Williams
Penalties: Williams 5
Harlequins
Tries: Dickson
Conversions: Evans
Penalties: Evans 3
Referee: Tim Wigglesworth
Attendance: 21,510
