TOM May is determined to lead by example as London Welsh look to turn their season around.

The Exiles’ captain admits he has got angry at times during a campaign that has seen eight defeats from eight matches.

But the 35-year-old former England international believes Welsh are also “not a million miles way” from succeeding.

“I think it is easy to rant and rave and there are times when I have done that,” said May.

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“But there are times when things haven’t gone quite to plan when I have not said anything. It can turn into a case of white noise.

“At the weekends I will be fairly vocal in the changing rooms.

“It can be tough and you start to have a real think about what it is that has gone wrong.

“I have just got to come in and set an example, have a buzz in training, run around and stay fit, fresh and enthusiastic because that is what it is all about.”

May returns at inside centre against Bath today after sitting out Welsh’s two European Challenge Cup matches.

He said: “It’s given me a good chance to get a bit of fitness into my body and get a bit of rest at the same time.

“It has also made me get more of a buzz back for playing. It doesn’t take long before you start missing it.

“I am looking forward to this weekend as are the boys.”

Many people have already written off the Exiles’ Premiership survival hopes, but May is keeping positive.

“There is so much time left,” he said. “We have had some bad results, but we’ll be striving to put those right.

“We have had some fairly good periods within these games. It is just about extending that and being consistent and not going away from what is working.

“It is little mistakes that are letting us down, but if you keep making them, those little errors get punished massively. We have to learn and learn quickly.”

Victory over Bath or Gloucester next week would be a real confidence boost for Welsh, but May said simply playing better was crucial.

“Maybe even if the results don’t go our way in terms of win or lose, if the performance is right then that’s what you build on, that’s what you get excited about,” he said.

“We are not a million miles away. The results would suggest otherwise, but some of the stuff we have been putting together in patches has been very good.

“You have to try and sew those patches together.”

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