Olly Robinson says he can't fault the effort from the Cardiff Blues side, after they suffered a narrow loss to Ulster in Belfast.
It was a brave performance from John Mulvihill’s team at the Kingspan Stadium, securing a losing bonus point, but the reliable boot of John Cooney eventually sealed the win for the hosts.
However, Robinson is excited by the opportunity to bounce back from the disappointment as they prepare for back-to-back European fixtures against English champions, Saracens.
The back row said: “There was a lot of effort out there, and a few defensive sets which showed how much we wanted it. I’m really proud of the effort the lads put in.
“We’ve made no secret of the fact that this is an important few weeks for us as a team, and unfortunately we’ve lost the first two games.
“Now we’ll have to put in some really good performances over the next few games to make sure we put that right.
“It’s always a big game when you play against any of the Irish sides, particularly out here.
“We can only control what we can control, and that is the effort that the boys put in.
“We didn’t quite get over the line, but we have opportunities over the next couple of weeks the make that right.
“A few lads really stepped up today, and I thought Harri Millard was really good in the centre.
“We’ve found a bit of talent that’s come through, but we’ll have to dig deep over the next few weeks until some of the more experienced boys come back.”