Connacht head coach Andy Friend was in reasonably sanguine mood after his understrength side's defeat against Munster in Thomond Park, praising the performance and the efforts of his young outhalf Conor Dean.
In a game which mattered little to Connacht ahead of a far more important encounter next weekend, the westerners were highly competitive, Eoin McKeon's 70th minute score putting them within striking distance of the hosts before JJ Hanrahan's score settled the game moments later.
Speaking to RTÉ Sport afterwards, Friend, who's overseen a dramatic improvement in Connacht's Pro 14 form this season, was happy with the effort.
"When they needed to be, they were clinical. We had our opportunities too and we only took one in the first half. We had others and had we been a bit more clinical, we might have a couple more scores.
"At the end of the day, I'm happy with that performance.
"I thought the breakdown was very scrappy. There was a lot of niggle. It wasn't a pretty second half. The setpiece stuff was frustrating. Restart after restart after restart. That last scrum went on for three and a half minutes. The game's got to be better than that."
With their place in the knockout phase already secured, the westerners made a raft of changes with Dean handed his debut at outhalf.
While the 21-year old pushed a couple of kicks wide, his kicking from general play was impressive and Friend was enthusiastic about the academy prospect.
"I thought he was great. He was our seventh academy boy we've used this year, our 50th player we've used this year. The academy fellas have done really well.
"The strength of a programme to me is the strength of the academy. We've got good kids coming through and I thought Conor, for his first outing there in Thomond Park, he didn't let himself down."
The knockout places are all filled ahead of next weekend. Glasgow's handy win over Edinburgh means Munster must overcome Benetton Rugby in Limerick next week, the prize of a tilt at Leinster awaiting the winners.
"They're a good rugby side who turned over Leinster and we've got a big job ahead of us next week"
On the other side of the draw, Connacht have long known of their pivotal assignment in Kingspan Stadium. It was under Friend's watch last October that the western province broke their longstanding hoodoo in Belfast.
"All eyes are now on Ulster. They're a good rugby side who turned over Leinster and we've got a big job ahead of us next week.
"Lose now, it's sudden death and you're gone. We know Ulster are going to be tough to beat but we'll prepare well for that. I know these boys, every time they pull on that green shirt, they give everything and they'll do the same next week."
