Ulster prop Tom O'Toole says the Irish province will take nothing for granted when they travel to Parma to take on Italian side Zebre to open their European Challenge Cup campaign on Saturday (15:15 BST).
Richie Murphy's side have drawn two and lost one of their first three United Rugby Championship [URC] games to kick off the season. Their opponents at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi have lost their first three this term, and are on a 19-game losing streak in the URC after 16 consecutive defeats in the 2025-26 campaign. Zebre did, however, stun Ulster by winning 15-14 when the sides met in Belfast in January 2025.
"It's kind of weird having a European game so early in the calendar but it's nice to park the URC for a week and obviously we know Zebre quite well," O'Toole told BBC Sport NI. "They upset us here a couple of years ago so we realise how dangerous they can be. Especially at home they'll be a side that is very physical."
Ulster lost at home to Edinburgh in their season opener, then drew away to Glasgow and at home to Munster. Murphy's charges recovered from a 21-point half-time deficit to earn a 26-26 draw against Munster last weekend. The side reached the Challenge Cup final last season, losing heavily to Montpellier. O'Toole, who has 24 caps for Ireland, also hopes to earn a place in Andy Farrell's squad for the November Nations Championship.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing