Edinburgh reason to believe

Rugby union: Cockerill rallies side for Scarlets

Richard Cockerill wants his players to show the belief they played with earlier in the season as they prepare to host Scarlets at Murrayfield today.

Edinburgh could potentially secure a Champions Cup spot and a Pro14 playoff place – if results go their way – with a win against the reigning champions.

Their season has suffered a minor blip with successive defeats to Cardiff and Ulster in their two biggest games of the season, and Cockerill has called on the players to bounce back and show the belief that saw them shoot up to third in Conference B earlier in the campaign.

“We have the players and we have the characters to do it, but it’s all about belief and we have had that a lot throughout the season,” the head coach said.

“The key part is not to overthink things, train well and put yourself in the right place to play well.

“We are good enough to qualify for the Final Series and we have earned the right to be where we are through good performances.

“We are more than capable of beating Scarlets if we get it right.”

Cockerill has made four changes to his side, with Jaco van der Walt replacing the Worcester-bound

“We have the players and the characters to do it”

Duncan Weir at fly half, while Chris Dean and James Johnstone replace Phil Burleigh and Mark Bennett in the centres.

The final change sees Scotland international Cornell du Preez return to the back row in place of the injured Bill Mata, while Stuart McInally leads from the front row.