Ulster's new forwards coach Clarke Dermody has praised the impact of Joe Schmidt, who joined the province this summer as coach development adviser after his stint as Australia's head coach. Dermody, a former New Zealand prop who arrived from Super Rugby side Highlanders to replace Jimmy Duffy under head coach Richie Murphy, said having a figure of Schmidt's calibre around the club is significant for staff and youth pathway development alike.

Dermody described Schmidt as having "an amazing eye for detail" and a willingness to share his ideas with coaches who seek his input, rather than imposing his views. He also joked that his own priority is halving the scrum penalties Ulster conceded last season, and struck an optimistic tone ahead of the new campaign despite a difficult end to the previous one, which saw them lose the Challenge Cup final to Montpellier and finish ninth in the URC, missing out on the play-offs. Ulster host Ospreys on Friday at 19:45 BST in their final pre-season match before opening their URC campaign at home to Edinburgh on 25 September.