Hodge seeks fast start as French rest top players

Catch them early, run their big pack all over the wide, open spaces of the Murrayfield pitch and then batten down the hatches to see the game out. It all seems so simple...

Whether or not Edinburgh can carry out interim head coach Duncan hodge’s tactical master plan remains to be seen but they will have at least been buoyed by the news La Rochelle will bring an under-strength side to Scotland for their European challenge cup quarter-final tonight.

the French outfit are currently runaway leaders of the top 14 by 11 points but have elected not to bring some of their big guns for the clash in Europe’s secondary club competition.

hodge will start fly-half Jason tovey, instead of Scotland cap Duncan Weir, with the Welshman tasked with releasing the back division as often as possible. Weir may then be introduced if Edinburgh have built up a lead and are looking to control the game.

‘We’re lucky we have a couple of tens who have different strengths but we’ll see how the game plays out,’ said hodge. ‘We know we need a fast start to get a foothold in the game, that is for sure. We all know there is pressure going into the match and, whatever happens, we have to fire some early shots.

‘they’re a big pack, so it’s getting that balance between being nice and structured and being in a position to pull them around the park a bit.

‘their forwards are big, heavy men. We don’t want to be running into them but there are times in a game when we have to but we’re going to have to run round them to win.’

La Rochelle’s impressive league run has seen them lose just four out of 22 matches — but many of their star performers have either been left at home or on the bench.

twenty-four stone French prop forward Uini atonio, the man whose substitution late on in his country’s Six Nations win over Wales provoked such controversy, was ‘given the week off’ to recover.

Vincent Pelo, another French prop, and veteran South african scrumhalf Ricky Januarie are also both absent.

Flanker Victor Vito, who won the World cup with New Zealand in 2011 and 2015, has been a regular starter all this season alongside australian play-maker Brock James and Fijianborn No8 Jone Qovu, but all three are on the bench.

‘Brock James has played most of their games, so it is a bit of surprise he doesn’t start,’ said hodge. ‘We also expected Vito to start, too.

‘Look, they are sitting top of their league and are a top side. I don’t know who is favourites in the bookies’ eyes but we are playing at home. We expect to put on a performance and win the game. We’re going into it with no other thoughts than that.’

hodge knows it will be tough for his side against La Rochelle after such a poor run of league form and admits everything has to come right on the night to have a chance of victory.

‘It is not that simple to just click as, last week against the Ospreys, there was not just one area that let us down,’ he admitted. ‘there were a few defensive errors, a couple of drop balls. It is a combination of mistakes, with one sparking another.

‘You look at the last few games and it has been a mistake by one player, a mistake by another. If it hasn’t been the attack, it has been the defence. that is the frustrating thing. It would be simple if it was one area and we could fix that.’