Warriors won’t wilt under Wilson
Edinburgh Rugby supremo, Richard Cockerill, laughed off the notion that chief rivals Glasgow will be a softer touch following Dave Rennie’s departure.
New Warriors boss, Danny Wilson, will launch his stint with back-to-back Pro14 clashes against the capital troops when hostilities restart in August in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis.
And cautious Cockerill reckons the men from the west will be just as tough a nut to crack as they have been over the past few years.
He declared: “I think they’ll have a slightly different slant on how they do things under Danny, and that is only natural.
“They’ve got a strong squad, and the basis of a very good team. Danny will go in and put his own twist on it.
“He’s a hooker by trade, and a forwards coach.
“So you’d expect maybe a pragmatic style. But he’s still got a lot of X-factor in that team. I certainly don’t see them being any weaker with him at the helm.”
Cockerill and Co. sit proudly at the top of Conference A, and he insisted Murrayfield should be considered as the venue for the Grand Final if they reach the title decider.
He stated: “Whichever team goes into the Final as top seeds should get to host it.
“But we can’t get ahead of ourselves. Glasgow still have an opportunity of making it, as slim as it might seem.
“I’m just happy for Edinburgh to be mixing it with teams of that calibre.
“I haven’t been told anything official in terms of the Final, but that’s obviously what I’m hoping for in terms of how they’d organise it.
“I think it’s a fair and just way of doing it.”
Cockerill also has a crucial Euro Challenge Cup clash with Bordeaux to look forward to. He added: “The big matches will come thick and fast, with a lot to be excited about, starting with the Glasgow games.
“It will all be good for us, the Warriors and the whole of Scottish rugby.
“We have to get bums on seats to keep the world turning financially.”