Forwards coach Jimmy Duffy says there were “a lot of shortcomings” in training as Ulster looked to end a disappointing run of form.
Ulster have lost their last four matches as they prepare to face interprovincial rivals Munster in the United Rugby Championship on Friday.
Richie Murphy’s men lost to Cardiff and Leinster in the URC either side of the autumn internationals before suffering heavy defeats to Toulouse and Bordeaux in Europe.
The defeat to Bordeaux in Belfast was particularly painful as the French side scored 26 unanswered points after Ulster had built a first-half lead.
Duffy said he is focusing on the positives, not the negatives, and “all signs are pointing in the right direction.”
“The guys care, and that’s the most important thing,” Duffy said.
“You can see it in their faces, there have been a lot of shortcomings in training in recent weeks, which is good – they disrupted in the right way.
“People want to be better and want to win, so it will come. It will come.”
Despite struggling form, with three of those games coming against some of the best teams in Europe, Duffy added there was “no gloom about the squad”.
“We talked about the fact that this is a young group and that we gave them time, but they are still ambitious.
“In the last two weekends they have played against European champions and French finalists, that’s when you burn out and recover.
“The guys enjoy each other’s company and work hard there.
“We are on a journey as a club and we are trying to build pathways to get these guys as good as they can be.”
