Photo via BBC Sport

Schmidt has an amazing eye for detail - Dermody

Following a slim pre-season victory against Edinburgh, Ulster are scheduled to stage their last warm-up match against Ospreys this Friday at 19:45 BST before opening their United Rugby Championship campaign against Edinburgh on 25 September. The Irish province endured a difficult conclusion to their previous term, missing the playoffs and Champions Cup qualification via a ninth-place league outcome while also falling to Montpellier in the Challenge Cup decider.

Despite those setbacks, coach Dermody remains upbeat about the squad's foundation, humorously noting his primary mission is to cut the team's scrum infractions by fifty percent.

Reflecting on his past encounters against Ulster as a London Irish player, Dermody remembered them as exceptionally tough opponents and emphasised the necessity of forward pack dominance to support their offensive system. While acknowledging that perfection is unrealistic, he highlighted that picking up extra points in tightly contested fixtures could dramatically reshape their league standing, insisting that imposing physical authority on rivals remains fundamental to the club's resurgence.