The heart and enthusiasm was certainly there, but scrum half Isaac Boss admitted that Ulster just "didn't play smart enough" to knock Munster off their Musgrave Park perch on Saturday.
Ulster coughed up an early 10-0 lead to eventually go down 21-13 to the Heineken Cup champions in rainy Cork.
It was Boss and company's second defeat away from home this term - they also lost in Edinburgh - and the Ireland international was left frustrated as the men in white failed to turn possession into points.
The Tokoroa-born pivot, who has now played 24 times for Ulster, said: "In the second half Munster probably didn't play a lot of rugby but, at the same time, it took a lot for them to absorb the things we were throwing at them.
"We were camped down there and making all the play but we got no result from it, so you have to give credit to them, they defended well.
"Our discipline at crucial times also undid us," he told reporters after the game. "We gave away penalties and had a couple of sin-binnings (Justin Harrison and Kieran Campbell), but those are team mistakes as well.
"We were enthusiastic and our heart was there, but maybe we didn't play smart enough at times and we have to figure out ways to improve that."
The 26-year-old claimed the Setanta Sports/Magners League man-of-the-match award for a snappy display against his rival for the Ireland scrum half spot, Peter Stringer.
Awards aside, with only a six-day turnaround to Ulster's next league outing - next Friday's trip to Galway to face Connacht - and the Heineken Cup also just around the corner, Boss is determined to get his side back to winning ways.
"We have a few injuries and the guys are hurting a lot (after this loss). We have had two away games now and two losses and have another away game next Friday to put things right.
Connacht are going to be hard opposition, they pushed Leinster all the way. We'll have to front up like we did following the loss at Edinburgh and show that we are contenders again."
Medical updates on Ulster winger Tommy Bowe (hamstring), prop Justin Fitzpatrick (ankle) and centre Paul Steinmetz (shoulder) are expected in the coming days. All three players hobbled off during Saturday's clash in Cork, while winger/full-back Mark Bartholomeusz (hamstring) is also on the treatment table.
