Cardiff may have bowed out of the Investec Champions Cup without a win but Matt Sherratt could not be prouder of his side.
The Blue and Blacks were drawn in a group of death in the top table of Europe with home encounters against Bath and Harlequins and trips to Toulouse and Racing 92
All four teams had topped their domestic competition around the time Cardiff faced them and Sherratt described the challenge with a football proverbial to facing Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG and Manchester City.
At Racing his side fell to a 48-26 defeat to a star-studded Parisian outfit but they refused to go down without a fight and scored four tries to salvage a losing bonus-point.
Sherratt said: “I couldn’t be any prouder of the players’ efforts. Really up against it, they showed a lot courage and it was cracking to score four tries.
“Obviously there is a tinge of disappointment. We have got to get better. We are giving teams too many easy scores and we have got to get that out of our game, but that’s what you get with young players.
“They are learning right at the sharp end against some of the best operators in world rugby. I am massively pleased with the intent with the ball and with our bodies.
"I am immensely proud of the playing group, not just this evening but for the past 13 weeks. It's been a long block. We've played some really good rugby against some really good teams.
"We were coming here against a top, top team. The boys kept going to the end to get us a bonus point away at Racing.
"We based this first block of the season on making sure we show fight and that people enjoy watching us play. What a place to come and do that.
"There is a four week break now where we can take a break and take stock and focus on some of the learnings.
"There were still some little bits today where we are giving away easy scores and against the top teams if you switch off for a second they hurt you. It's only good learning if we reference it when we come back and are a better team when we play Connacht.”