SCARLETS head coach Nigel Davies has warned his players they need to be more clinical and disciplined if they are to progress any further than the LV= Cup semi-finals.

Despite losing 19-14 away to Sale on Saturday, the Scarlets qualified for the last four and now face an intimidating trip to Northampton.

Having led 11-7 at half-time, the Scarlets seemed on course to book a home semi-final but Davies was left to rue the high penalty count against his side.

"We're very disappointed. We were very indisciplined and we gave away a lot of penalties," he said.

"There were some 50-50 calls, but you expect that away from home.

"We weren't clever or smart enough and that's why we didn't get the result we wanted.

"The conditions didn't help the way we wanted to play but it was the same for both sides and they adapted a bit better than us.

"We were poor in the second half.

"The elements were against us but we still should have been a lot smarter than we were.

"I was particularly disappointed with our line-out and the way we dealt with their driving line-out. In conditions like we had, those are the parts of the games you have to have in place."

In what has been an encouraging season so far, the Scarlets have already secured an Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-final with Brive and are pushing for a play-off spot in the RaboDirect Pro12.

Davies has been pleased with his side's progress, though Saturday's loss was an aberration he is keen to put right.

"We've been happy with the way we've performed this year and that was not to the standard which we've set ourselves," Davies said.

"We'll work very hard to make sure we step it up very quickly.

"You're going to have these setbacks in a season so we've got to make sure we quickly sort it out.

"First and foremost, we're delighted that we've got into a semi-final. We're the only Welsh region to do that, so we're pleased with that.

"It's disappointing we haven't got a home game, but we'll take that as it comes.

"If we take anything from this game, it's that we have to step it back up to the levels that we set ourselves.

"That was a very strong Sale side and we came with a team that we thought was good enough but, on the day, we weren't."

Next for the Scarlets in the Anglo-Welsh tournament will be a trip to Franklin's Gardens to take on Northampton, and Davies has urged his players to step up their game when they take on last season's Heineken Cup runners-up.

"It will be a big challenge. The fact is that these games will take place during the international window, so both teams will have players away," he added.

"It could well be a leveller. It will be a real test for the teams and the squads involved.

"This is now one of three competitions we're in, and in two of them we're in the play-offs.

"We're not prioritising any competition. We're taking every game as it comes and by doing that we've already got ourselves into two play-offs."