Cockerill not dewy eyed about Ford

EDINBURGH head coach Richard Cockerill will show no sentiment toward Ross Ford in what could be his final home game. He will only give Scotland’s most capped international player a run off the bench in the must-win Pro14 match against Ulster if first-choice hooker Stuart McInally is having an off day. Otherwise the man who leaves the club after 11 years at the end of the season will be left sitting among the replacements for the full 80 minutes at BT Murrayfield tonight. ‘If it’s the right thing to put Fordy on, then he’ll get on,’ said Cockerill. ‘I won’t be putting him on just for him to get his 198th or whatever it is appearance for Edinburgh. ‘He has been a great servant and is 100 per cent a model pro. He has cracked on about his business as normal this week, because that’s the sort of bloke he is.’ Cockerill admits Edinburgh can’t afford to slip up tonight. They sit fourth in the Pro14’s Conference B, a point behind Benetton in the final play-off slot. He said: ‘We’ve got to win. It’s the same as last week. If we don’t, we’re relying on other results and miracles.’