Ford fancies chances in French test but admits Edinburgh must improve to have hope

ROSS FORD believes the carrot of making a potential European semi-final is what Edinburgh need to put a shocking run of league form behind them.

Duncan Hodge’s side have lost their last five Guinness Pro12 games, their latest defeat coming in Llanelli as they produced a poor first-half display to be brushed aside 26-10 by the Scarlets.

The challenge now for the capital club is to put their current poor run to one side ahead of a Challenge Cup last-eight tie with La Rochelle on Friday.

The French Top 14 leaders will arrive at Murrayfield still in contention for a remarkable Double and will be a tough test.

But hooker Ford, the Edinburgh skipper, has no doubts Hodge’s men can raise their game.

He said: ‘We have a lot we can work on ahead of next week. We have something to focus on.

‘In Europe, we have played pretty well at home and got some good results, so we can take confidence from that.

‘We will go into next week with a plan to take La Rochelle on.

‘They are going well in the Top 14, they have some exciting players in

their team and a big if they are to make the pack, so it will be a last four. great challenge for us Hodge’s men shipped and something we will four tries before the look forward to. break as the Welsh side

‘We will look at them racked up an early over the weekend and bonus point through a see what we can do. The brace of tries from work begins on Monday returning fly-half Rhys morning.’ Patchell and efforts

La Rochelle will arrive from Wyn Jones and as firm and deserved James Davies. favourites. Edinburgh’s Man-of-the-match display at Parc y Patchell added three Scarlets showed they conversions. must make real strides Edinburgh, meanwhile, in just a matter of days struggled to string any

fluency together. Phil Burleigh benefited from Allan Dell’s charge down of an Aled Davies kick for a try which Duncan Weir converted.

The fly-half also added a penalty, but there was no doubting who deserved to win.

With just four wins all season and only one in their last ten Pro12 clashes, Edinburgh are in real trouble. On this basis, incoming head coach Richard Cockerill has serious work to do.

‘We were second best in every area. We gave the Scarlets some easy points and we never gave ourselves a chance,’ added Ford.

‘It is never good to concede so early on. It is a hard one to take.’

The disparity between Edinburgh’s European and domestic performances really is startling. The two Challenge Cup pool-stage wins over Harlequins showed the talent in the squad, but their inconsistency will be a source of huge frustration to Hodge.

That is something Cockerill must sort out for next season, but for now Edinburgh are not totally ruling out a European final on home turf. Both the Challenge Cup and Champions Cup showpiece events take place at Murrayfield in May, an extra incentive for those wearing black and red.

La Rochelle’s giant pack — which could feature monster French prop Uini Atonio, should he recover from what France say was a concussion suffered against Wales in the Six Nations — is one of the biggest in Europe.

Edinburgh will have to match them in that area to have any chance, but they are not without hope.

‘Harlequins are a good team and we beat them home and away, so to do that gives us confidence,’ continued Ford.

‘We just have to perform for the full 80 and give ourselves a chance from the off.

‘A home final would be a massive thing for us. It is great to have the final at home, but we have a few games to go before that.

‘It is definitely something that is doable — we did it two years ago. There isn’t anything that will stop us this time, as long as we put the work in prior to the game.’