Bullish Cockerill says Edinburgh can beat Racing 92’s ‘galacticos’
A match against the “galacticos” of Racing 92 in Paris is a mouthwatering prospect but not one which daunts Edinburgh coach Richard Cockerill.
The clubs have been drawn together in the last 16 of the Heineken Champions Cup, with the tie scheduled to be played at La Défense Arena at some point over the Easter weekend of April 2-3-4.
The French side boast a formidable array of talent, particularly in the backline, and will be overwhelming favourites to progress to the quarter-finals where an away tie against either Bordeauxbegles or Bristol Bears awaits the winners.
But Edinburgh have a decent record against French teams and Cockerill will summon the spirit of the collective in a bid to defeat individual brilliance.
“We’re the poor relations from a financial point of view but the sum of our parts is what we’ve always based ourselves on and we’re a side who have pushed Bordeaux hard, we’ve beaten Montpellier, beaten Toulon,” he said. “We playedlarochellethisseason when they were top or second in the Pro14 and just lost in a game that could have gone the other way.
“It’s a tough draw, but if you’re in that company you’re always going to get a tough draw. They’ve got a fantastic galactico of a squad, and we look forward to having a fit and available squad and going there and giving it our best shot.
“It’s exciting - a one-off where if we get it right we can certainthey’ve
ly beat them. It’s something to get our teeth into.”
Racing reached the final last season where they were unlucky to lose to Exeter Chiefs in a thrilling game at Ashton Gate.
Our own Finn Russell is their orchestrator-in-chief but they boast a formidable array of talent, particularly in the backline where Virimi Vakatawa, Juan Imhoff, Simon Zebo and Teddy Thomas all offer a potent threat.
An intriguing sub-plot involves the coaches, with Cockerill looking forward to renewing acquaintances with Racing’s Laurent Travers. The pair faced each other as rival hookers in the 1997 Heineken Cup final in Cardiff when Travers’ Brive side came out on top against Cockerill’s Leicester Tigers.
“I know Laurent Travers very well, he’s a good coach and they’re well organised,” the Edinburgh coach said. “Look,
got some great players but we’ve got a lot of international players too.
“They’re well funded and they’ve got a pretty impressive stadium which probably outshines ours a little bit.
“We know that when we’ve got all our players available and have a bit of preparation time we are more than capable of competing at this level.
"Now that we’ve got the opportunity, we’ve got to go and do it.”
England have vowed to continue playing on the edge despite the disciplinary problems that have ruined their Guinness Six Nations title defence.
Defence coach John Mitchell believes it is crucial Eddie Jones' team retain the physicality that is their greatest strength, while addressing the key shortcoming that has sent them spinning to defeats by Scotland and Wales.
Across the first three rounds of the Championship, they have conceded an average of 13.6 penalties per game. To aid preparations for Saturday's clash with France at Twickenham, two referees have been brought in to offer guidance.
And while avoiding the official's whistle is their overwhelming priority, Mitchell insists they must not lose sight of what makes England tick.
"We need to sort out our discipline. We need more care around that area. It's important that we're a lot cleverer and smarter in certain situations," Mitchell said.
"It's a feeling thing. It comes through connection and togetherness. We're working hard and it will come. There's no doubt about it - the timing will come.
"But not for one minute do we want to stop playing on the edge and stop being physical. It's something we enjoy and something we pride ourselves on.
"We're not going to throw away something that's really important to us and that's ultimately a strength which we can bring week-in weekout."
Although England have surrendered their title to favourites France or Wales with two rounds left to go, Mitchell insists their Championship remains meaningful.
"We've got a huge amount to play for because we want to find our best performance," the former New Zealand head coach said.
"This is the great situation that we're currently in - we've got a great opportunity to find our best, which is exciting. You learn more in these situations and your ability to find a way. We haven't found our best yet."
England must stop Antoine Dupont if they are to inflict a first defeat on France, whose round three appointment with Scotland was postponed due to an outbreak of coronavirus in their squad.
Dupont was the first of 12 players to test positive but with the irrepressible Toulouse magician restored to full health, Jones' fallen champions are on red alert for a scrum-half who would be the first name on a world XV teamsheet.
"You stop him from running, I reckon! He can run!" said Mitchell when asked how England can contain Dupont.
"He'sareallygoodplayerwho likes to influence the game and he backs his strengths. He's got good vision and has good awareness of defenders either side of the ruck. He also tends
not to be pre-meditated, so he makes a lot of decisions based on what's in front of him. He's got a good skill-set.
"Physically he's really well
put together. He's powerful and has got a good fend.
"And he can go around defenders rather than on their inside.
"His support play is second to none in the way he anticipates beyond the ball. We're looking forward to taking away what he has."