COCKERILL KEEN TO GET OVER EURO LINE

EDINBURGH head coach Richard Cockerill has told his players not to hang about in securing a bonus-point win over Russian minnows Krasny Yar at Murrayfield tonight. Cockerill already has one eye on the 1872 Cup match with Glasgow Warriors the following weekend and wants to keep his key men fresh and injury free. Warriors will certainly provide much tougher opposition than Krasny Yar. Edinburgh scored ten tries as they beat them 73-14 in Moscow two months ago. A similarly one-sided affair is expected in a match where a bonus-point win will guarantee Edinburgh a place in the knockout stages of the Challenge Cup. Cockerill has rested several of his big hitters, making 11 changes to the team that beat London Irish 50-20 last weekend. Mark Bennett, who was due to make his comeback tonight after ten months out, has been told to stand down with a place on the bench against Glasgow beckoning. ‘We are expected to win against Krasny Yar and, if we play anywhere near our potential, we should,’ said Cockerill. ‘If we put in a real workmanlike performance, play like we want to play, we can get the job done as quickly as possible, which is exactly what we want to do. ‘We are not in the main European competition, so this week is maybe easier than playing in the league for us.’ Cockerill will be hoping fly-half Jaco van der Walt emerges unscathed from tonight’s match with his other two options at No10, Duncan Weir and Jason Tovey, on the injury list. The Edinburgh head coach has great expectations of the playmaker, who only signed three weeks ago from the Golden Lions in South Africa. ‘Jaco only joined us a few weeks ago and he has settled in well,’ said Cockerill. ‘We will be

mindful that we need to look after Jaco. We need to focus on getting Friday done.’

EDINBURGH: Graham; Hoyland, Johnstone, Dean, Van der Merwe; Van der Walt, Kennedy; Sutherland, Cochrane, McCallum, McKenzie (C), Carmichael, Bradbury, Ritchie, Du Preez.

Replacements: Fenton, Bryce, Shields, Mata, Crosbie, Fowles, Kinghorn, Rasoela.

Kick-off: 7.35pm.