Cockerill can see beauty in winning ugly

Richard Cockerill is content to see Edinburgh win ugly against Connacht tonight if it means his team will be sitting pretty at the end of the season.

The capital club currently top Pro14 Conference B, but Cockerill is refusing to get carried away.

The former England forward knows his side have work to do to clinch a play-off spot and he wants his team to make sure they get the points at Murrayfield any way they can.

He said: “The next two weeks will be important for us. Being top of the conference is great, and we’re delighted with that position, but we’re not getting too excited.

“We’re in good form in the league and the boys have continued to stay in the battle. These parts of the season aren’t about style, however, it’s about substance.

“It’s about getting a ‘W’ at the end of the column, four points, and having an opportunity to compete in the play-offs. Connacht are a good team and they’ve got a coaching group that like to play. Andy Friend is a great coach and they play some expansive stuff.

“They made a good Cardiff Blues side look very ordinary last weekend, so we know that we’ll have to be at the top of our game.”

Meanwhile, Glasgow co-captain Ryan Wilson is excited to be part of a new era at Scotstoun after signing a two-year contract extension.

Wilson has signed until the summer of 2022 after head coach Danny Wilson, Dave Rennie’s successor in waiting, told him he would remain part of his plans for the club.

The 30-year-old back-row forward is in his 10th season with Glasgow and has made 166 appearances.

Wilson, who has 49 caps for Scotland, said: “The club means a lot to me. I’ve seen it grow from when we were playing in front of 1,000 at Firhill to where we are now.”