Lewis Ludlam: Northampton Saints can benefit from break in play-off race

Lewis Ludlam has made 114 appearances for Northampton Saints

Northampton Saints captain Lewis Ludlam hopes a two-week break will benefit the team as they look to revive their hopes of a Premiership play-off spot.

They dropped out of the top four following a 37-22 loss at London Irish, who leapfrogged them in the table.

Saints only have two games left to try to retrieve the position.

"We're frustrated and disappointed, but we can't be moping around sulking, we need to get back on the horse as quickly as possible," said Ludlam.

The flanker was back in a Northampton shirt after playing in all five of England's Six Nations games.

And although he scored one of Saints' three tries at the Gtech Community Stadium in Brentford, his side were outplayed in the second half after trailing only 17-10 at the break.

"We [only] turned up in small spells but unfortunately against a team like that, at home, with loads of energy, you need to keep the pressure on and we didn't keep the pressure on well enough," Ludlam told BBC Radio Northampton.

"We didn't stop their momentum well enough, we folded in the wrong places too quickly so you had lads overworking, going to the blindside and leaving holes through the middle.

"I don't think there was a lack of effort at all. There was a lack of mental processing, just to understand and see the picture, and go and execute the plan as well."

Northampton are now three points behind the Exiles and next face a trip to leaders Saracens on 15 April before finishing the regular season six days later with a trip to bottom club Newcastle Falcons.

Both of those will be played before London Irish's next league fixture, away to Saracens on 23 April, which will be followed by a home match against Exeter.

"It might be out of our hands now but all we can focus on is being better and getting a win against Sarries," Ludlam added.

"I think this team is going to benefit from a week of processing, a week of mentally and physically recovering, especially a few of the international lads who have played some high [number of] minutes.

"We need to be honest with ourselves about our standards because something needs to change if we want to be in a play-off position."