Paddy Wallace scored a late try for the hosts at Ravenhill to limit the margin of defeat to 26-10.

And Williams said: “I’m very proud of the guys. You can only ask players to give everything and they didn’t turn it off for a second.

“We kept fighting and fighting but they are a great side and took their opportunities really well.

“I thought we were still in it at half-time even though we were trailing 16-0, but they came out and took it away from us and their defence was first rate.”

Tries from Guillaume Bousses and Dimitri Szarzewski alongside two wonderfully struck long-range drop goals from Juan Martin Hernandez and Lionel Beauxis derailed Ulster’s challenge.

Ulster now must regroup before travelling to London to play Harlequins on Saturday.