Ulster outhalf David Humphreys reflected on a job well done after steering his side to a hard-fought Celtic League win at Pontypridd.
The victory earned Alan Solomons' side a home draw in the quarter-final, and although it wasn't pretty at times, Humphreys emphasised that attractive rugby was not high on the list of priorities on Saturday afternoon.
"We knew what we needed to do and we are delighted to get the home draw," he said. "Some of the stuff might have been a little boring to watch at times, but you can't come to these places and always play pretty stuff.
"The pack did well and laid a good foundation for me and to sum up we were effective. We knew it would be a battle and we came through it.
"This Celtic League has proved a great preparation for the Heineken Cup. We're still not where we would like to be but we're getting there."
Truth was that Ulster made heavy weather of beating a determined but limited Welsh side.
When the visitors led 14-3 after 30 minutes it looked as though it would be a stroll. Prop Simon Best crashed over for a try off a well worked rolling maul and added to three earlier penalties by Humphreys, everything looked rosy.
But in the 10 minutes before half-time, Ulster lost their shape and allowed Pontypridd back into it with Humphreys opposite number, the youngster Ceri Sweeney, slotting two more penalties to bring it back to 14-9 by half-time.
The third quarter was by far the worst for Solomons men and by the end of it they were trailing 20-17 and looking in danger of throwing the points away.
Pontypridd's captain, the giant back row Dale McIntosh, pounced for a try in the 52nd minute to put his side into the lead for the first time.
But the hosts lacked the cutting edge behind the scrum to press home their advantage. In the end a double substitution in the 63rd minute proved decisive and turned the game Ulster's way.
Australian international centre Ryan Constable replaced Adam Larkin and Mark Blair went into the second row for Gary Longwell.
Both scored tries with virtually their first touches, Constable slicing through from close range in the 66th minute and Blair following him over shortly afterwards from a scrambling move that saw the ball go through several sets of hands.
Pontypridd could have few genuine complaints at the outcome. Their coach Richie Collins certainly didn't.
"Credit to Ulster they are a good side and they deserved their win," he said. "But I did feel at one stage in the second half that the game was there for the taking for us.
"We made mistakes in crucial areas though and were punished for doing so."
Ulster's achievement in securing a home tie in the last eight is a worthy one indeed. But Solomons will demand more ruthlessness should his team establish such a platform at the knock-out stage. In Humphreys, they have a navigator-in-chief who is capable of dictating any game given enough ball.
But sterner tests lie ahead, not just in this tournament but in the Heineken Cup also.
Scorers: Pontypridd: try: D McIntosh; Pens: C Sweeney 5. Ulster: tries: S Best, R Constable, M Blair; con: D Humphreys; pens: D Humphreys 3; DG: Humphreys.
PONTYPRIDD: G Wyatt; D Feaunati, S Parker, S James (J Bryant 71), R Johnston; C Sweeney, G Baber (P John 76); G Jenkins, M Davies, D Bell, N Kelly, B Cockbain, D McIntosh (captain), R Parks, M Owen.
ULSTER: P Wallace; J Topping, S Stewart, A Larkin (R Constable 63), T Howe; D Humphreys, N Doak; S Best, P Shields, C Boyd (J Fitzpatrick 61), G Longwell (M Blair 63), J Davidson, T McWhirter (N McMillan 58), A Ward (captain), R Nelson.
Referee: C White (RFU).
