Ulster forwards coach Clarke Dermody has praised Joe Schmidt's "amazing eye for detail" as the former Ireland head coach settles into his role at Affidea Stadium. Dermody joked his primary task is to "halve the scrum penalties" Ulster conceded last season but expressed satisfaction with the squad's early progress. Ulster secured a narrow pre-season win over Edinburgh and will host Ospreys on Friday [19:45 BST] in their final warm-up before the United Rugby Championship [URC] opener at home to Edinburgh on 25 September.

Despite a disappointing finish to last season — including defeat by Montpellier in the Challenge Cup final and 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."