Gilchrist calling for a Paris encore
AFTER a gruelling and protracted Six Nations campaign, Scotland’s stunning victory at the Stade de France last Friday night sparked raucous celebrations which lasted long into the wee small hours. Suitably hydrated after their first victory in the French capital since 1999, the Edinburgh players return to Paris today aiming for an encore.
Having blown off the cobwebs over the past week, a meeting with Racing 92 at La Defense Arena now awaits in the last 16 of the Heineken Champions Cup.
Given the swift turnaround between two huge games, however, surely there must have been a temptation just to set up camp and stay in Paris for the week?
‘I don’t think Cockers (Richard Cockerill, Edinburgh head coach) would have been too happy with that! We’ve had a good week in training,’ says Edinburgh and Scotland lock Grant Gilchrist.
‘It’s strange to have two massive games in Paris two weeks in a row, but it’s exciting times.’
On the prospect of repeating the heroics, Gilchrist adds: ‘Yeah, why not? Two weeks in a row.
‘It was such a special feeling, winning in those circumstances with all the history of not winning in Paris for so long.
‘To win it in the last play of the game, it was such a great feeling. We will certainly be chasing that same feeling again this weekend against Racing.’
Going up against a Racing side who are without Finn Russell, thanks to his red card for Scotland last weekend, naturally improves Edinburgh’s chances of victory.
‘Finn’s one of the best players in the world,’ says Gilchrist. ‘You’d be kidding yourself if you said that it’s not a bonus that he isn’t playing.’
But, even despite Russell’s absence, the Racing side is still littered with star quality. Cockerill dubbed them rugby’s ‘Galacticos’ earlier in the week.
Gilchrist agreed, saying: ‘They’ve got quality across their squad. They’re one of the superpowers in European rugby, and the depth of their squad reflects that.’
Kurtley Beale, a 92-cap Wallaby, starts at full-back. Virimi Vakatawa is in midfield, with Teddy Thomas outside him on the wing; together they provide destructive and lethal try-scoring ability.
The Racing pack is equally formidable, with veterans Bernard Le Roux and Donnacha Ryan at lock. Camille Chat is a rampaging, powerhouse hooker.
On the face of it, Edinburgh stand little chance of victory. Racing were beaten finalists last season, losing narrowly to Exeter, and are well-fancied to go close again.
Edinburgh’s season has been underwhelming. They finished second bottom in their Pro14 conference, winning just five times in 15 games.
They have struggled to find any rhythm, albeit they have been without their key Scotland stars for much of the campaign due to an enlarged Test window and Covid complications around the release of players from the national team.
But being written off as outsiders is a narrative which Edinburgh know well. The same applied to Scotland in Paris last weekend.
Cockerill relishes the tag of being underdogs. He and his Edinburgh players have form when it comes to shocking the French.
They won home and away against Toulon in season 2018-19, as well as beating Montpellier at home, en route to reaching the quarter-finals.
Gilchrist is adamant that there will be no fear factor against Racing. The opportunity reach the quarter-finals once again is one he is determined to grasp.
‘It’s a huge challenge and an exciting one,’ he said.
‘It’s a great fixture for the club. Nobody really expects anything of us but we’re expecting a lot in terms of our own performance.
‘We’ve had some great results against French teams in recent history, even over in France, so there shouldn’t be that fear factor.
‘We can go out on the day, try to express the best of ourselves and try to make our supporters proud.
‘I’s a good thing (to play a French team again so soon). Our boys who played in the game against France are bound to feel pretty good.
‘They can take a lot of confidence from going over to France and winning. It’s such a hard thing to do throughout your career.
‘To have done it the week before this game, albeit with a different team, allows you to take confidence from that.
‘If we can go to Paris and win with the national team, we can certainly go and win with an Edinburgh team which has international players littered all through it.’
Cockerill has opted for Blair Kinghorn at fly-half. It suggests a desire to run with the ball. Edinburgh have no desire to engage Racing in an arm wrestle.
Instead, they will look to fight fire with fire. It could well be a free-flowing, high-scoring affair.
A repeat of season 2011-12 could be on the cards — when Edinburgh beat Racing home and away, 48-47 and 27-24, en route to reaching the semi-finals.
Gilchrist, who played in both of those games, says: ‘There were some absolutely bonkers games in that Heineken Cup run.
‘The fact it’s 10 years ago now just shows that one minute you’re the young lad and the next you’re the old boy.
‘Those are good memories of crazy games. Certainly the home game against Racing (48-47) was a ridiculous scoreline and then in the away game, we had the drop goal in the last minute to win it.’
If Edinburgh can replicate that same drama, or indeed that witnessed at the Stade de France last Friday, we could well be in for a treat.