As a result, Ulster are now outside of the top two of the RaboDirect PRO12 table and they face a mouthwatering inter-provincial clash with leaders Leinster this weekend.
And Payne is adamant that while injuries have taken their toll on Ulster's squad, it would be wrong to blame those who have stepped into the breach.
"Collectively we haven't been playing quite as well as we should be and the boys have been struggling a bit," he told the Belfast Telegraph. "But that's not down to any one player.
"When you count in the injuries there must have been 20 of us out during the Six Nations and if you take that number out of a squad, any team is going to notice it.
"It would be unfair to blame the guys who came in for the results. They haven't done a bad job as individuals.
"When you're losing games, usually it's about the collective.
"We're all pretty keen to put things right as a team. Everybody is keen to improve and turn these results around."
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