'Pretty brutal' review at Saints after 'worst rugby we've played in two years'

And he says some of the rugby his side played at The Rec last Saturday was 'some of the worst we've played in two years'.

Saints were beaten 22-13 by Stuart Hooper's side, who were reduced to 14 men eight minutes after the break due to Aled Brew's dismissal.

Bath were fired up by that red card and scored twice more, building on a 10-8 lead to inflict a first Gallagher Premiership defeat of the season on Saints, who had Ben Franks and Paul Hill sin-binned during a difficult finale.

And ahead of Sunday's Champions Cup opener at home to Lyon, Boyd said: "It (the post-match review) was pretty brutal to be honest.

"Forty minutes of the 80 was probably the worst rugby we've played in two years really.

"If it wasn't a decision error it was a skill error, if it wasn't a skill error it was an effort error.

"We made about nine back-to-back errors and put ourselves in a really difficult situation.

"Ultimately, we didn't have enough time to come back and win it.

"It was hugely disappointing."

But Saints have a chance to bounce back this weekend as Top 14 table-toppers Lyon come calling.

And when asked what he is expecting from the French giants, Boyd said: "They're certainly very different to Bath.

"They're eight wins from nine games in the French league and that's not a mistake.

"Although they've only had one player away at the World Cup, they're incredibly dangerous across the field.

"They've got a very nippy nine and Charlie Ngatai, who I know pretty well, runs a lot of their game for them.

"They've got very big wings, a hard-working forward pack, they scrum and lineout well and they're a Clermont-type side.

"We need to be at nine out of 10 or nine and a half out of 10 to pose some threats to them so it's going to be a massive challenge."

Saints lost to Clermont Auvergne in the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup last season, which was their first campaign under the stewardship of Boyd.

And the Kiwi boss now gets to take his side into the Champions Cup for the first time, with excitement building ahead of Sunday's curtain raiser.

"Unfortunately we were in the Challenge Cup last year playing Clermont but I was looking forward to it because they're a great club and a great side," Boyd said.

"All high performance sports people want to pitch themselves against the best and Lyon are comfortably the best side in France right now so for us to play them here at Franklin's

Gardens on Sunday is going to be a massive occasion and one we're really looking forward to.