A tough enough day at the workplace for Sean Reffell, and it was clear that this result was hurting as deeply as going the distance in Johannesburg.
His first URC game of the season – the hope very much is that the former Saracens player can avoid injury in 2024/25 – had been eventful, the openside flanker topping Ulster’s tackle count with 15 and providing an important assist for John Cooney’s score.
Still, it had been a defeat with the try bonus being of some consolation to take onwards as Ulster prepare to do battle with the Bulls in Pretoria, also at altitude and with heat being a factor.
“You saw against Glasgow (in the URC’s opening round) the character of this side, and it is that we never give up and always empty the tank,” said the 26-year-old, now in his third season at Ulster but with only nine competitive games behind him.
“And I never for one second doubted we would stop playing for the full 80 or to the final whistle, so we can take a positive from that.”
Having said that, Reffell could only admit that for large parts of Saturday afternoon’s game, Ulster were well off it and having to spend lengthy periods of time defending while also witnessing the scoreboard advance in the Lions’ favour.
“We always knew it would definitely be a tough battle coming here,” Reffell admitted.
“We know as a team, we weren’t quite up to scratch or where we wanted to be, and a few loose transitions let them into the game.
“We definitely have a lot of work to do, and we know as a team, we take accountability.”
The review will doubtless highlight a raft of areas where Ulster were second-best in permitting the Lions easy access to the game and then, just when it looked as if the visitors had found their feet, conceding 20 unanswered points between the 45th and 56th minutes.
“The boys are always disappointed to lose as we are a competitive side, so you never want to be on the losing side, but we know we can build from this,” was Reffell’s view on moving forward towards Pretoria.
“There are still plenty of games, we have the Bulls next, and we’ll park this (the loss to the Lions) and look straight to the Bulls and put things right.”
Skipper Alan O’Connor spoke of how the game-plan hadn’t quite clicked but was not of a frame of mind to blame the heat and altitude.
“At times, we felt the conditions a bit, but then again, we’re coming off the back of summer and we played a couple of games that were mid-to-high-20s, so we were sort of prepared for that,” O’Connor said.
“But the altitude, yeah, we had a bit of a game-plan behind that and we tried to go hard whenever the ball was in play and try and take our time and make sure we were nice and composed coming to set-piece time.”
O’Connor emphasised that playing in these conditions can only be of benefit should Ulster need to return.
He added: “Towards the latter end of the season, we might have to come here again or go to the Bulls, so for the younger guys, we want them to experience it more and more often so that when you do have to come to these places, whenever it is crunch time, you’re ready for it.”