Browne looking for Leeds to find their rhythm quickly after enduring opening-game setback

The New Zealand-born flanker spent the last five seasons with Northampton and Bath and was one of seven summer arrivals to debut against his former Rec employers on Sunday.

New-look Leeds were ripped apart in the second half as Bath made the Yorkshire club's trumpeted goal of reaching the top six and qualifying for Europe's premier competition, look over-ambitious.

But Browne, 31, believes there were positives to build on, provided he and his fellow debutants – Steve Thompson, Lachlan Mackay and Michael Stephenson among them – gel quicky.

"As a recruit you're looking to quickly find a rhythm with your new team-mates, especially when you've got guys coming into key positions," said Browne, who has also played in France with Grenoble.

"It's always going to take time and pre-season sometimes isn't long enough, especially when you get injuries to a couple of guys.

"You can be chucked in at the deep end, and especially against a team like Bath you can't really afford too many mistakes because they will make you pay. Obviously it's disappointing. First game of the season at home you want to put in a strong performance and get a win.

"At the end of the first half, having dominated possession, we were the better team. But second half, first-up tackles cost us and you only get a couple of opportunities to score points against good teams and we missed all of ours."

Leeds travel to Gloucester on Saturday. "Gloucester will be hurting after losing to Exeter," added Browne, "and a Gloucester team after a loss is never the best team to play.

"But we'll look at the video review and if we can put things right we've got every chance of getting a good result."

Despite Sunday's loss, Browne has seen enough to suggest Leeds can still prove their worth as top-six contenders.

"I don't want anyone to be too disappointed," he said. "Leeds have got the potential to have some really good results.

"We're an ambitious club, we've recruited well and standards have to be set high. We're all professional and want to play against the best teams, and the best teams are in the Heineken Cup.

"If we play like we did in the first half against Bath, for 80 minutes, we can definitely match the best teams in the Premiership."