Investec Champions Cup: Ulster paid price for not getting basics right - Iain Henderson

Ulster drop into the Challenge Cup after taking just five points from their four Champions Cup Pool 2 matches

Ulster captain Iain Henderson says his side paid the price for getting the basics "way wrong" as they exited the Investec Champions Cup following a 47-19 defeat by Harlequins.

After losing to Toulouse, Ulster needed a win to guarantee progression.

However, they conceded seven tries for the second game in succession to drop into the second-tier Challenge Cup.

"I genuinely believe the scoreline could have been flipped today," said Henderson.

"But look, we got loads of our basics way wrong and have been getting them wrong for the last number of games.

"I think it's down to us maybe concentrating on the wrong things, getting over-focused on trying to play nice rugby rather than doing the basics really well, getting our breakdown right.

"We knew today with Will Evans, those types of lads, they're big threats. We didn't target them out of the game enough.

"Any time we got the ball we turned it over and gave Harlequins the ins to the game which they really wanted. They capitalised and we didn't."

Ulster dominated long spells of the first half but went in at the break trailing 21-7 after three separate mistakes were pounced upon by Harlequins, with Louis Lynagh scoring twice after Nick David's early opener.

For Ulster, however, a well-worked score from returning flanker David McCann was all they had to show for a first half spent largely inside Quins territory.

Ulster shipped 147 points in their four pool fixtures

"Again, that's probably on us for our ball retention," added Henderson, who is set to link up with the Ireland squad ahead of the Six Nations, on Ulster's half-time deficit.

"Our breakdown work wasn't going well enough but they capitalised when they got the opportunities, put the pressure on and got a couple of bounces and that's the way it works."

Ulster now face an away tie in the Challenge Cup, and while Henderson concedes the second-tier competition is not as "exciting" as the Champions Cup, the Ireland second row views it as another chance to secure the first piece of silverware of his 12-year career.

"You've got the likes of a few big South African teams topping up in there, we could potentially go away to them," he said.

"It's not as exciting to be in the last 16 of the Challenge Cup as it is in the top flight.

"However, in my 12-year tenure I've yet to win some silverware so I would bite your hand off for a Challenge Cup."

Echoing Henderson's sentiments, Ulster assistant coach Dan Soper admitted Saturday's game was "a game we let get away from us".

"That first half was a pretty frustrating half," said Soper.

"They scored three tries and we know they're a good transition team. They took their chances really well and we switched off in those moments and that's pretty frustrating.

"We had more than enough opportunities in the first half to have the score the other way around.

"Somebody said we turned the ball over seven times in their 22 in the first half which isn't good enough to win at this level.

"We come away from this pretty frustrated with ourselves. Quins are an excellent team but that's a game we let get away from us."