Munster interim head coach Ian Costello said his team will take defeat to Leinster on the chin and look to learn from some harsh lessons after they were beaten 28-7 in Friday night's BKT United Rugby Championship derby at Thomond Park.
The visitors flexed their muscles to get past a Munster outfit full of endeavour, but lacking in cutting edge quality.
Afterwards, Costello offered an honest and blunt assessment.
"There's no point in feeling sorry for ourselves. They had five opportunities five metres out and they took four of them. We'd four quick taps, we'd a five-metre lineout, and we converted one. You add in a bit of issues around our setpiece and that's what happens when you play that quality, the scoreline can get away on you.
"We had a plan to play a certain way where we looked to put the ball in behind them, get the crowd into the game and not give them opportuntites around the middle of the pitch.
"To a large extent we did really well but the problem then again is if it came to a scrum and we knew there was a chance, or a decent chance, they were getting penalties in the back of the scrum, it gave them access.
"They brought quality off the bench, they have an excellent squad. From our point of view, we can't ask any more from the 23 guys that took the field."
"We came up a little bit short against a really, really good side."
Inconsistencies in the Munster lineout and scrum hindered them all night. The hosts had plenty of possession, but errors at important times cost them.
Costello conceded they have been hurt by an unfortunate injury pileup, though he was keen to avoid putting too much emphasis on the absentees.
"I think our lineout recently has been really good," he added. "It was difficult tonight. We're missing some key personnel around our front five, which from a scrum point of view... we've guys like Kieran Ryan coming off the bench, who's an academy player, he's doing outstanding and him being in the mixer like this will stand to him long term, but it does take a toll, and the same again around the second row.
"That's where the depth really does help, but the last thing I want to do is make excuses.
"It was a really impressive effort, and not one of those glorious defeats - there was quality there, there was a lot of really good accuracy as well and we tried to implement the game plan we felt would give us the best chance. We came up short around a couple of key areas. Really good teams like Leinster punish that.
"We'd 23 guys out there that we felt could do a job and we came up a little bit short against a really, really good side."
