One coach was left puzzled, the other sad, but both Jim Mallinder and Mark Anscombe agreed that the better team came out on top at Ravenhill in the top of the table clash in Pool 4.
Ulster Rugby lost the only unbeaten record left in professional rugby in Europe as they went down 10-9 a week after running in four tries to pick up a precious bonus point at Northampton Saints.
That 25-6 triumph by the Irish province at Franklin's Gardens left Mallinder shell-shocked, but he was able to smile again a week later after his team not only gained revenge, but became the first team in four years to win a Heineken Cup tie in Belfast.
"It's highly frustrating. You'd think the team would be up for a home game against Ulster last week, but clearly they weren't - we saw what we could do at Ravenhill," said Mallinder.
"Quite a few people have written the team off in terms of not being the side we've been, but that performance proved we can compete with the top teams in Europe. It makes it interesting, which is exactly what we wanted it to be.
"Ulster have got to play Castres, and that's a difficult game for them, and we can look forward to that. At least out of the two games, we've got something out of it for us."
Ulster had gone 13 games unbeaten in all competitions and still hold all the aces in the battle for quarter-final qualification. They are five points clear of the Saints at the top of the Pool and finish off in January with a home clash with Glasgow Warriors in round five and a trip to Castres Olympique in round six.
"It's sad because it's our first loss but we got beaten by a better team. We're still a good team and we'll bounce back," said Anscombe.
"It happens and you've got to acknowledge it and respect it. They did well and deserved their victory - we've got to go back and look at what we need to do better.
"Our destiny is still in our own hands. We're not relying on other teams to see how it goes.
"If we win our last two games we'll qualify. Not every team has that opportunity, we have and we need to take it.
"We created enough opportunities to score points, but our execution was poor. We weren't patient enough and didn't have enough composure at crucial times.
"We tried to force it and they brought a little more passion than us to start with when they went 10 points up in 18 minutes. Their physicality at the start got them going.
"We weren't complacent, but we were a little more passive early on. and we created enough opportunities but we just weren't composed enough at crucial times and we didn't take our points when we had opportunities."
