We need to beat Agen but I’ve got one eye on the Tigers
EDINBURGH head coach Richard Cockerill believes a win over Agen today — even without a bonus point — should be enough to make the European Challenge Cup knockout stages.
And nothing would give him more pleasure than being drawn in the last eight against Leicester Tigers, the club who sacked him as head coach three years ago.
With Agen bottom of the table and without a point to their name, they are sending an under-strength team to BT Murrayfield for a game in which Edinburgh are odds-on favourites to triumph.
The capital side currently lead the race for the three available pool runner-up places on 16 points — one ahead of Pau and Worcester Warriors, and two in front of Scarlets. If they remain as one of the best runners-up, they will face one of the group winners, which includes Cockerill’s former employers.
‘We need to win against Agen, don’t we?’ said Cockerill. ‘If we win, we’re through to the knockout stages. I believe a win guarantees us eighth spot in the knockout stages, but we want to get as many points as we can.
‘If we win with a bonus point, I think we could end up sixth, so we’ll see what happens with the rest of the group matches.
‘Wherever we go it will be tough because there are some very good sides left but, then again, we’re on the verge of qualifying from a very good pool that included Bordeaux and Wasps.
‘Four points will get us a quarter-final and five will get us a slightly more favourable draw. Toulon, Bordeaux and Bristol will probably be the top three seeds, along with Leicester or Worcester or Castres in that fourth spot, so whatever we do we’re going to get a hard away game.
‘I expect us to perform against Agen and I expect us to win. We’ve got to put ourselves under pressure to make sure we play properly.’
Of all the teams Edinburgh could face, Cockerill is hoping they are drawn against the Tigers, who have already qualified with a game to spare as winners of Pool Five.
‘One hundred per cent I would like to play them, both for the club and on a personal level,’ said the 49-year-old Englishman.
‘It would be a good place to go, to test ourselves against one of England’s biggest clubs. Personally, I’d love to go back as a former player and a former coach in one of the hardest places to go in the English game.
‘I left Welford Road on New Year’s Day, 2017, and I’ve not been back since. I know a lot of people there, I was there a long time. I still keep in touch with Jordan Murphy, he’s a good friend.’
First, however, his team have to make sure they put Agen to the sword.
‘They are playing in a very tough league and they don’t lose their games by many,’ added Cockerill.
‘Only recently they pushed Toulouse and Lyon very hard at home but (I accept) we are favourites.
‘We’ve got a good side out, nine changes, seven in the forward pack, and we’re still very strong, so that shows what we’re trying to build here at Edinburgh. We’ve got some very experienced players and we need to be able to cope with the favourites tag and deliver a performance that gets us the win.
‘When you’re expected to win like we are today, you need to play to the level you’re capable of and make sure you deliver on it.’
Of the nine changes made by Cockerill, there are only two in the back division, with full-back Damien Hoyland and centre George Taylor replacing the rested Blair Kinghorn and Matt Scott respectively.
A revamped forward pack sees Pierre Schoeman, David Cherry and WP Nel selected in the front row, while Scotland locks Ben Toolis and Grant Gilchrist both return to action in the second row.
Luke Crosbie and Nick Haining — both of whom were this week named in Scotland’s Guinness Six Nations squad — join Hamish Watson in the back row.
‘We have a strong side out but are missing the likes of Stuart McInally, who has still got a sore rib from the Glasgow game,’ said Cockerill.
‘Magnus Bradbury is on rest having played five games and Jamie Ritchie’s hamstring is not quite right.
‘He could probably have played but, with Scotland Test matches coming up, I’m just not going to risk him.
‘We’ve got some good strength in that back row so Jamie’s just being managed properly. Bill Mata is still recovering from quite a nasty cut on his face so he’s unavailable as well.’