DARCY CAN WING IT FOR US
CHAMPIONS CUP EURO CRUNCH Gunners happy to fast-track rookie
BY DAVID KELSO EDINBURGH boss Richard Cockerill believes rookie Darcy Graham can enjoy a flying start to his Gunners career.
The 21-year-old will make a surprise debut today in Montpellier after in-form winger Duhan van der Merwe failed to shake off a knee injury.
And Cockerill insists Graham’s presence will not weaken his line-up for the Champions Cup opener in France.
He said: “Darcy has been performing really well and deserves to be picked.The fact is at the moment he is one of our best wingers.
“It’s going to be a huge test for us mentally and physically, especially for some of our younger players who haven’t played at this intensity.
“We’re not going to force them into an arm wrestle because that’s going to make it even tougher.
“If we can keep lots of ball, get quick service and put them under pressure, we’ll create opportunities.
“Our form has been improving but we’ve not played anyone near the quality of this Montpellier side.
“We’ll enjoy ourselves, play with a smile on our faces and give it our best shot.
“It’s important that we consistently compete in this competition because it’s the way to develop.
“Glasgow have done it for a number of years and it’s tough to even get out of your group. Exeter are champions of England the last two years and found it hard.
“There’s no pressure on us to win the tournament but there is pressure on teams like Montpellier. I’ll be more than delighted if we get anything from the game.”
Montpellier coach Vern Cotter has told his superstars to make amends for last season’s failure to make it through into the Champions Cup group stage.
He said: “Last year was a mixed bag. We were in a strong pool with Exeter, Leinster and Glasgow and only managed two wins.
“But when we saw Leinster go on to win the tournament that made us feel a bit better about ourselves.
“We’re really impatient to get started and we will do what it takes to qualify.”