RICHARD COCKERILL
ready to strengthen Edinburgh as Fijian talisman ‘Bill’ Mata signs new contract with capital club.
2019-20 campaign? Cockerill, pictured, said: “We’re looking for more talent – Fijian talent, Pacific island talent – to bolster this team because it gives you X factor.
“I certainly did that when I was with Leicester, with the Tuilagi clan that all came through and guys like [Vereniki] Goneva who we signed from Tarbes, so we’re hopefully going to bolster, certainly in the back line, with similar types.
“Players like Goneva or the Tuilagis or Matawalu that give us a bit of X factor because all the good teams in Europe have one, two or three of those types of players that give you something for nothing. Vili gives us that and we probably need a little bit more of it.”
Mata, who had never lived outside of Fiji until 2016 when he moved to Scotland, knows there are good players just waiting for the call in his homeland.
“Yes, there are a lot of guys over there [with talent] and if clubs here are searching for talent they should be looking to the island and hand picking those guys,” he said. Meanwhile, Mata has praised the Edinburgh strength and conditioning staff, headed up by Nick
RICHARD COCKERILL Lumley, for transforming him as an athlete.
“The first season here was a bit of a struggle but I have picked up every season since and that is mainly down to the strength and conditioning guys at the club,” said the man who won an Olympic sevens gold medal in 2016.
“I think the training programme suits me a lot, especially the S&C programme because it allows me to do what I have been doing so that is one of the main things that encouraged me to stay for the next few seasons and get even better.
“The S&C here, well it has changed my rugby from when 2 Fijian No 8 Viliame Mata has urged Edinburgh to look to his homeland and hand pick the Pacific island’s talent as the capital club bids to bolster their squad ahead of next season. I was in Fiji. For me it is just about doing my own thing and using my strengths and hoping they contribute to the team.
“I just put everything I learn in training out there on the field and hope it helps the team get the result after 80 minutes.”
Cockerill praised those behind the scenes at Scottish Rugby for making the new Mata deal possible. “Three or four months ago you wouldn’t have put money on Bill staying, because there was a lot of interest, but he’s happy,” he explained. “We’re here to keep our best players and compete and get better. As long as I’m here we won’t be a selling club, trust me.”
“All the good teams in Europe have one, two or three of those types of players that give you something for nothing. Vili gives us that and we probably need a little bit more of it”