Ulster's Tom O'Toole hopes to be fit for rest of season after minor surgery

The grand slam-winning prop hopes having the surgery early and only missing three games will ensure he is available for Ulster for the business end of the campaign.

O’Toole returned quicker than expected after going under the knife, playing in the defeat against Glasgow last weekend.

“It was disappointing obviously but it was probably something that needed to be done, but it wasn’t a major procedure for me,” he said.

“I knew it was not great timing, I was obviously delighted to come back and be able to play and it was probably something that I needed to get done.

“We had a talk as an organisation, the staff the coaches and me, [and decided] that it was probably better to get it done earlier in the season rather that try and go on throughout the year and push something that could potentially harm me later on, and not be there for mid to late season.

“It was a big decision to make. I was told that I was going to be out for four to six weeks and came back in three-an-a-half, so it was quicker than what they were hoping for,” O’Toole added.

“It was brilliant for me to be able to get back early, it was a month since I’d played but it just needed to be done.

“I’m glad it is done now and it’s behind me and I can crack on with the end of the season.”

O’Toole said he even contemplated having the operation straight after returning from the World Cup in France.

“There was talk of that but it was just trying to find the best window and the best window that would help me and the team,” he said. “We looked at certain periods to try and get it potentially done next summer and stuff but the advice I was given was ‘get it done earlier’.

“I came back from the World Cup wanting to get back in with that appetite, wanting more for myself and pushing on with my career and wanting that.

“When I came back from the World Cup I was pretty keen to get back and involved, but then getting scanned and looking back on it the medical advice was just to get something done.

“It wasn’t a major procedure, just a little clean up and I am glad it is done.”

O’Toole is delighted to welcome double World Cup-winning Springbok Steven Kitshoff into the Ulster front row.

“I had a couple of reps against him in prep for the Glasgow week, he is certainly a big strong guy,” he said.

“It is great to have him in the squad especially for a lot of the young front-rowers coming through – Zac (Solomon), last week Scotty (Wilson) as well; he’ll be great, a bit like what Duane (Vermeulen) was for a lot of the back-rowers over the last few years.

“Hopefully Kitshoff will bring that experience not just to the young guys but to myself as well and to the rest of the group.”

O’Toole and Kitshoff start in the front row against Edinburgh on Saturday evening (5:15pm) in the last hit out before Europe.

Two of Ireland’s world cup players Iain Henderson and Rob Herring are ruled out due to injury.

Ulster: (15-9): Will Addison, Rob Baloucoune, James Hume, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale, Billy Burns, John Cooney;

(1-8): Steven Kitshoff, Tom Stewart, Tom O’Toole, Alan O’Connor (C), Kieran Treadwell, Matty Rea, Nick Timoney, James McNabney.

Replacements: John Andrew, Andy Warwick, Marty Moore, Cormac Izuchukwu, Dave Ewers, Nathan Doak, Stewart Moore, Ben Moxham.