SLOUGH RFC head coach Darran Brown has accused his players of giving Reading Abbey too much respect on Saturday.

The Greenies were put to the sword by a clinical Abbey side, who notched 11 tries in a 61-17 win at Tamblyn Fields.

Brown told the Observer that he laid down some home truths at half-time as his lacklustre team trailed 32-7.

Slough improved to score two second-half tries but Brown argues that his team have got to be more physical.

He bemoaned: “The first-half was incredibly one-sided. Everything that we tried to do just didn’t seem to work.

“Abbey are a well-drilled side because they practise these things and execute them. Everything they did seemed to work.

“We knew that they would come here as a good side and also that whichever team is the most clinical will win the game.

“Abbey were very intelligent. They played the game at the pace they wanted to and we didn’t respond.

“You can see why they’ve scored the points that they did on Saturday, as well as in previous weeks.

“We’re a little bit disappointed with the way that we’ve performed, certainly in the first-half. We gave Abbey too much space and respect.

“We showed a bit more of what we can do in the second-half. We put phases together and were unlucky not to score earlier.

“The players are disappointed in their performance as a team and some are disappointed individually.

“We’re still questioning things, probably too much from my point of view, but we will get back to training and put things right.

“We will pick the players up and I think that sometimes they just need to trust each other a little bit more.

“Players need to look around the room, and around the pitch, and give people the chance that they deserve.

“The team is certainly much better than it performed on Saturday and I’ve told them that.

“I’ve told them exactly what I think that they’re capable of, which is probably 30-40 per cent more.

“We’ve got to start putting phases together and we have got to start controlling the game more.

“We did it at the back end of last season and seem to have got a little confused with our expectations this year.” The defeat leaves Slough in fifth position in Berks, Bucks & Oxon Premier, 10 points behind the promotion places.

After laying into his players at half-time against Abbey, Brown expects an improved performance against Wheatley on November 15 (2.30pm ko).

He said: “Let’s just say that the walls probably need new paint. I laid a few home truths down.

“I told them that they weren’t performing, doing themselves justice, or standing up to be counted. They need to put those things right.

“We need to start playing the way that we know we can, and the way that everyone who came to watch knows we can.

“The key for me is about being positive with it. Despite the words that were said, the guys did step up in the second-half.

“Obviously we would’ve liked the losing bonus point but it wasn’t to be, and we will look forward to the return fixture.

“We will go away and look at what we need to do. We need to stop looking at teams and giving them too much respect.

“We need to be a little bit more physical. At the breakdown we were a little bit soft so will look at the reasons why.

“I said to the players that I can’t make them more physical. It’s built in you, in your head and body.

“It’s about desire. You can either throw yourself into a ruck or make a big tackle, or you can’t.

“We’ve asked the players to go away and have a look at their performance and come back with a positive response.” **PICK up a copy of the Observer, out now, for all the latest sports news and action including pictures from Slough v Reading Abbey** **FOLLOW the Observer on Twitter at @Observer_sports**