Leeds head coach Neil Back was defiantly proud of his side after they finished bottom of the Aviva Premiership.
Saints excited about semi-final at champions Leicester
Leeds head coach Neil Back was defiantly proud of his side after they finished bottom of the Aviva Premiership following a thrilling 31-24 defeat at Northampton.
Leeds led by 21 points at one stage but ultimately the Heineken Cup finalists had too much for them.
Asked directly about his future, Back said: "My focus now is on getting back into that changing room, getting around the boys and making sure they are okay.
"It is tough to take. We had an incredibly difficult task coming here against the Heineken Cup finalists, with the form and quality they have got in their team.
"They had more than £1million-worth of players on their bench, and ultimately it made the difference.
"But I am proud of our whole squad, as I have been all year. Leeds have never failed through lack of effort, ultimately it was because we were not good enough collectively.
"We played well, we executed simple plays very well and put them under pressure. But we haven't converted enough games into wins, and what has happened has happened.
"We were 11 points adrift at Christmas, and to still be in it now is a mark of strong mentality, character and a willingness to give everything, and that is what the team did today."
Leeds' only chance of beating the drop now lies in the Championship play-off - if Cornish Pirates beat Worcester, the Yorkshire club will not be relegated.
Back added: "I didn't watch Worcester's semi-final game against Bedford (which Worcester won by a point) but I think that has been their scare.
"I think they have too much quality in their team that they won't let it happen again.
"Over two games I can only see one winner. My money, if I was a betting man, would be with Worcester."
Confident
For their part, Saints sealed the fourth play-off spot and secured a mouthwatering clash against Leicester at Welford Road next Saturday.
Saints rugby director Jim Mallinder said: "I was disappointed with that first 20 minutes, it was terrible. Defensively, we were slack and could not keep hold of the ball.
"We had a serious word in the changing room afterwards. That performance was not acceptable, we should have been better. We were very disappointed.
"It was quite a long way back from 24-3 down, but it wasn't the time to panic. The second 20 minutes of the first half, we got a bit more control.
"I am very excited about the semi-final. Leicester are a quality side, the champions, and very strong at home.
"We will be confident. We understand Leicester and we understand their strength, but we've got a good side and we have played well in big games this season. There is no reason why we cannot do that again."