Responsible approach sees Leeds turn poor run around

The former Bath winger scored the match-winning try against Gloucester last Saturday as the green shoots of recovery continued to take hold for the Yorkshire club.

He returns to his old stomping ground tomorrow, with confidence in the Leeds camp soaring now the players have a clear blueprint for victory.

"I think we turned a corner a month or so ago when we started getting to grips with our game and our defence," said Stephenson. "We had a good hard look at ourselves after the Harlequins game (lost 51-18).

"A lot of it was maybe understanding, just getting that knowledge throughout the team of what people's roles are.

"We've never questioned the commitment, the energy or the fitness, it was maybe just focusing that energy into the right areas."

Leeds's attempt at the start of the season to add an attacking dynamic to their stubborn defence often looked muddled, with defence and attack caught between the two, though Stephenson believes earlier problems were never as black and white as that.

"It's such a tough league that you never go into a game thinking 'if we do this we'll be 40 points up by half-time'," he said.

"Ninety per cent of the games come down to errors. We've just got to be clever about not getting ourselves into positions where we are likely to make errors."

Players better understanding their roles is a strategy enhanced by a back division that contains a number of players who can play multiple positions.

Ceiron Thomas began the season at fly-half but has moved to full-back, Lachlan MacKay has come it at No 10 after starting at inside centre and as well as James Tinknell and Luther Burrell offering multiple options, Stephenson can play at full-back or on the wing.

"I'm happy playing either positions," he said.

"The way wings and full-backs play nowadays you spend a lot of time in the backfield, it really doesn't make too much of a difference."