Ulster-এর ফরওয়ার্ডস কোচ ক্লার্ক ডারমোডি former Ireland head coach जो Schmidt-এর "অদ্ভুত বিচারদক্ষতা" প্রশংসা করেছেন যেহেতু তিনি Affidea Stadium-এ তার পদে স্থাপন হচ্ছেন। ডারমোডি jokes করেছেন তার প্রাথমিক কাজ হল "last season-এ Ulster-কে conceded scrum penaltis-কে halve করা" কিন্তু squad-এর প্রাথমিক প্রগ্রেসে সন্তুষ্টি প্রকাশ করেছেন। Ulster secured a narrow pre-season win over Edinburgh এবং will host Ospreys on Friday [19:45 BST] তাদের final warm-up before the United Rugby Championship [URC] opener at home to Edinburgh on 25 September। একটি disappointing finish to last season — einschließlich defeat by Montpellier in the Challenge Cup final এবং a ninth-place URC finish that saw them miss the playoffs and Champions Cup qualification — Dermody believes "the building blocks are there" to improve। He noted that reaching a final deserves commendation and that excitement around the group can "kick-start the season." Dermody acknowledged Ulster won't win every game but highlighted that several close matches could have yielded points to alter their final standing। Drawing on his experience facing Ulster during his playing days with London Irish, Dermody recalled an "extremely hard team to beat" and emphasized that getting the forwards right is crucial to complement their attacking play। He stressed the need to maintain physicality up front, stating that if opponents walk away feeling that intensity, "you're in a good place."