COCKERILL SURE MEN HAVE BOTTLE

EDINBURGH head coach Richard Cockerill says his side’s bottle won’t crash again in the European Challenge Cup quarter-final against BordeauxBegles despite their capitulation to Ulster in the Pro14 semi-final. The Englishman felt his side lost their nerve as they threw away a 19-7 lead with 20 minutes to go against the Belfast side at BT Murrayfield. His players now head to France for a game that he describes as a huge test of their character. His team has now lost all four matches at the knock-out stages in Europe and the league since he took over three years ago — but he is not panicking. ‘I’m not worried about it at all, because we have been playing good teams in the knock-out stages in the past,’ said Cockerill. ‘Year one against Cardiff was a game we would have liked to have won, but we were still learning. ‘The other games were Munster in Europe and Munster in the league and now we have lost to Ulster. The two Munster games were a shot to nothing because of the way we were developing as a team. ‘This Ulster game was one we were good enough to win and expected to win. Or at least expected to turn up and perform and do what we said we were going to do, which we didn’t. ‘We got ourselves in front but we lost our nerve and we ended up with what we got, which was nothing. We have to learn from it in Europe this weekend as this is a real test of their character.’ Cockerill said there would be no excuse for another collapse and expects his side to put in a full 80-minute performance that was lacking in the Pro14 semi-final. ‘It’s easy to say that it hurts but we should have got it right against Ulster,’ he said. ‘There were some very good bits to our game but when we were poor we were very poor and it cost us. ‘We have got to make better decisions against Bordeaux and go to the end. ‘We are on a path but clearly not at the end of it yet. When is that path ending? When we win a trophy? Well, we are so many years old as a club and we haven’t won one yet so we are trying our best to make that happen. ‘We’ve got to keep knocking at the door to win these games.’ Cockerill revealed he is looking to sign South African lock Andries Ferreira from the Blue Bulls next week on a short-term loan deal as injury cover. ‘Fraser McKenzie is out for several months with a dislocated shoulder and we’ve got some issues with Lewis Carmichael with concussion,’ he said. ‘And my best guess is that in a few weeks’ time we’re going to lose two locks (Grant Gilchrist and Ben Toolis) to international duty for eight weeks. ‘We are looking at some options to give us cover and Ferreira is one.’