COCKERILL NOW IN LOVE WITH BEST MATA

EDINBURGH head coach Richard Cockerill was so in love with the way Viliame Mata played against Toulon he joked he was now higher in his affections — at least for the weekend — than his wife Sarah Jane.

He won’t be buying the Fijian No8 flowers and chocolates any time soon but he felt he deserved man of the match for the way he pummelled the opposition into submission.

Cockerill, who described the match as a ‘perfect storm’ as far as Edinburgh was concerned, said: ‘If I had to choose between Vili and the wife then it’d be a close one, which Vili would win. He was outstanding. He was magnificent today.

‘He’s a good player and he’s allowed to play well in this team because there’s a good balance in that back row.

‘There were lots of guys out there making tackles and cleaning rucks that he doesn’t do, which is fine because he has a point of difference.’

Running Mata close in Cockerill’s after match affections was winger Darcy Graham, who at 5ft 9in tall, was the smallest man on the park.

He was up against Josua Tuisova, who at 6ft 4in tall, is one of the most physical players in world rugby but he was kept in the shade by the 21-year-old Scot.

‘Darcy Graham against Tuisova is the mismatch of all mismatches, but how good was he today?’ said Edinburgh’s head coach. ‘He wasn’t the only one. It was a perfect storm for us. Toulon had some difficulties and we were on top of our game.’