Heineken Cup final: David Humphreys admits better team won

David Humphreys and Brian McLaughlin

Ulster Director of Rugby David Humphreys is looking to the future after the disappointment of losing the Heineken Cup final to Leinster.

"We are hugely disappointed as we went to Twickenham with a lot of expectation and confidence but Leinster showed us how we can get better," said Humphreys.

"It was a massive achievement to reach the final but all the players want to be competing at this level again.

"It was great to reach that stage but we want to come back and be stronger."

"We came up against a very strong Leinster team and some days you have just got to stand back and congratulate the opposition.

"They have produced a consistently high level of performance and have won trophies.

"We had two or three try-scoring opportunities which we didn't take and we had been talking all week about how we had to make our chances count.

"In addition to that, we made three or four mistakes which led to Leinster tries so it wasn't our day."

Humphreys paid tribute to the supporters who backed the team at Twickenham, and also at the quarter-final and semi-final stage of the competition.

"Interest has built up thanks to our wins over Munster at Thomond Park and Edinburgh at the Aviva Stadium, so I think the fans have enjoyed it every bit as much as everyone at Ulster Rugby.

"Twenty minutes after the final whistle the fans were still there cheering and applauding the players.

"We have come a long way in the last three years and the appointment of Brian McLaughlin to the Academy system is part of our long-term model to bring success - that was never going to be based on results.

"We will all come back determined and more motivated to kick on next season."