Lock out to make huge impression

Edinburgh rugby boss Richard Cockerill believes the signing of giant Agen lock Pierce Phillips will provide competition for places next season.

The 28-year-old, 6ft 8in second-rower will make his move to Murrayfield from the French Top 14 outfit this summer.

Englishman Phillips, who made 37 appearances for Worcester Warriors before moving to France in 2019, will compete with Scotland internationals Grant Gilchrist and Ben Toolis for game time.

And Cockerill is excited about having his experience to hand when his Dark Blues duo are away on Test duty.

He said: “We’re really pleased to sign Pierce. He’s a quality, experienced player with an excellent physical profile for the position, as well as being a really good fit for our squad as someone who’ll be available to us all season long.

“We’ve good strength and depth in the second-row, with several Scotland internationalists and those with credible Scotland ambitions.

“Having the right balance is essential if you’re to have genuine play-off ambitions in domestic and European Cup competitions. Hopefully he’ll help us achieve that in the seasons to come.”

Phillips added: “I’ve been really excited to get on board with the team from the moment I first heard there might be an opportunity at Edinburgh for me.

“I know one or two guys that have been involved at the club and they’ve only ever spoken glowingly about it. I can’t wait to get started and get my teeth into it.

“I’ve looked at how the team’s progressing and learned about the plan for the club going forward, so the opportunity to be part of that, and potentially add to it, is very exciting.

“Everyone’s always looking for a new challenge and way to progress themselves personally. I’m looking forward to doing that at Edinburgh.”

Meanwhile, England head coach Eddie Jones retains the “full support” of the Rugby Football Union following completion of its debrief into the recent Six Nations.

Jones presided over a fifth-place finish for the second time in his Twickenham reign, triggering a review into why the World Cup runners-up had under-performed.

“The RFU has concluded a debrief of the Six Nations confirming its full support and backing of Eddie Jones as head coach, while recognising a sub-optimal campaign and the factors that contributed to it,” a statement read.

Factoring in points difference, a Championship that was bookended by calamitous defeats to Scotland and Ireland represented England’s worst ever Six Nations performance.

“We were all disappointed to finish fifth in the Six Nations,” RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney said. “Our track record and results under Eddie meant that we, the players and our fans had much higher expectations.

“Sport is all about fine margins which is why every campaign debrief is invaluable in helping us to learn and improve.

“Eddie approached this review with a great deal of self-awareness and humility, allowing us to look at every aspect of the tournament to identify every small change we can make in order to improve.”