“They played well and really put one on us. We’d like to play them again, but you can’t turn back the clock so we have to take it out on Leicester this weekend. If we play like we know we can then we’ll get a result and change people’s minds about us.

“We’ve learnt a lot from Monday and we know where we went wrong. We’ve got through a lot this week and we will see the results of that on Sunday.”

Installed as acting captain only 14 minutes in to the game following Matt Burke’s injury, the former South Africa ‘A’ skipper even found himself on the scoresheet in the Falcons’ first-half rally.

“It was more a consolation in the end so it wasn’t a big thing, but I’m glad to be over here now and hopefully contributing to the team,” he said.

“I enjoy the team aspect and you have to remember that rugby is not an individual game. If I play well and the team loses I’m not interested in that – the only thing that matters is the team. We weren’t switched-on enough, and from a personal point of view I have still have a lot of things I can work on as well.

“We are up for Leicester this weekend, and even though we are up against a good pack we have a group of forwards who have shown they can deliver on the day. It’s a challenge we are looking forward to, and we’re up for it.”

Looking to face a Tigers side at the right end of the table, the former Cats, Lions and Sharks back row man said of Sunday’s opponents: “I’ve watched a fair bit of Leicester and you have to admire their pack, especially with guys like Lewis Moody and Martin Corry.

“They are very physical with good ball carriers, so they’re a very well-rounded side. Having said that I do think we have the guys to match up with them.”

Winter is aware of the task in hand and his role in the bigger picture, saying: “As forwards our job is a pretty simple one, let’s not pretend it’s complicated. All we need to do is provide good ball for the backs, whether that’s from scrum, line out ruck or maul.

“Our back line is up there with any in Europe, so if we get our set phases together in the pack we have the weapons to beat anybody.”

Home advantage could also be key on Sunday as the Falcons aim to repeat their Kingston Park triumph of last season over the men from Welford Road.

“We have a great crowd which follows us round the country, and they’re fantastic to the players,” he said.

“Everybody supports us, and to be on our home field with the crowd behind us really seems to lift the guys. I think we’ve won six of our last seven games at home, so that just goes to show we’re not an easy team to beat up here.

“We’re so far north that we need to use that to our advantage. When we have an away game we can sit on a bus for seven hours and the trips can take two or three days, so we know that when we play at home the opposition are going through the same sort of journey. It definitely makes a difference, and that’s something we can exploit.”