Quins director of rugby Conor O’Shea has held talks with top flight referee Wayne Barnes in a bid to address his side’s current achilles heel.

A penalty strewn second-half - including two sin-binnings - cost O’Shea’s men dear as they conceded 15-points in the final 15 minutes to go down 21-17 at Sale Sharks on Friday night.

Poor discipline has been a contributory factor in Quins’ slow start to campaign, which sees them second-bottom in the Premiership having failed to record a win in their opening three fixtures.

Barnes spent Monday at the club’s training ground going over the rules at the break down and O’Shea insists it is up to individual offenders to put things right.

“It is frustrating for the players because of the amount of work they put in during the week,” he said.

“We’ve led with six minutes, 11 minutes and eight minutes left on the clock and we are definitely not a side that deserves to be where we are.

“It is the individual’s responsibility to put the discipline side of things right. At times we have been overly competitive at the breakdown.

“We have been on the wrong end of the ref, while other side’s haven’t been refereed to the same standard.

“If it is because we are painting the wrong picture then we have to understand why and address it. We are doing that.”

O’Shea’s was left fuming following Friday’s late collapse after George Lowe and Jordan Turner-Hall had given his side a 17-6 lead at half-time.

And the Stoop chief admits the pressure is mounting for his side to get its first win under its belt.

“We are doing so many good things and we have every faith in the way we are playing, but the confidence of a win will do a lot for us,” he added.

“We have two tough games of the first five game block to go and we have got to get a couple of wins.

“A couple of big performances will give us two wins and put is in a good place, but it will still be frustrating because we should have had more points by now.”

Winger Ugo Monye has been ruled out for three months on Friday after undergoing surgery on the big toe injured in his side’s 20-16 home defeat to Northampton Saints.

Quins next three games: Sept 25 Exeter Chiefs (h), Oct 2 Newcastle Falcons (h), Oct 10 Bayonne (ECCup, a).