A MAXIMUM points haul from their first three matches has entitled Edinburgh to change their European Challenge Cup priorities with head coach Richard Cockerill now targeting home advantage in the quarter-finals.
Merely getting through to the knockout stages of European competitions has proven tough enough for Scottish teams in the past, but the way in which they have dominated Pool 4 to date has fully justified such thinking.
Anything short of another bonus point win against Krasny Yar, the Siberian club that Edinburgh thrashed in Russia a couple of months ago, would be a major surprise and while they still have back to back meetings with trophy holders Stade Francais to come, the eight-point advantage they currently boast and 23 tries they have registered, means they are now strong favourites to be among the leading qualifiers, if not top seeds in the last eight.
“You would think a bonus point win would get you there into the quarter-finals (but) I am not sure it would get us a home quarter final,” said Cockerill. “We would like to get maximum points to be on 20 points then we have two games to earn the right to be at home.”
A veteran of European campaigns as both player and coach at two-time Heineken Cup champions Leicester, he understands just how important that can be, adding: “It would make a huge difference.
“We are trying to build something here, to encourage the crowds to come. I would like to get us a home quarter final, I would like to play it at Myreside and I would like for us to sell it out and start to build that fan base at Myreside.”
With two derby matches against Glasgow Warriors looming over the festive period, however, he has recalled captain Fraser Kennedy but once again taken the calculated risk of leaving out senior players while also giving a chance at full-back to Darcy Graham, who made a good impression on the wing last week, with a brilliantly taken try.
“I want to create competition and guys who stand up and play well will get the opportunity to play again and I think I have done that,” Cockerill observed. “We are not in the main (European) competition so these two weeks are maybe easier than playing in the league for us. Those who have stepped up get the opportunity again. That creates competition and hopefully nobody is too comfortable in the starting shirt.”
Cockerill knows, too, that there is a thin line between confidence and complacency ahead of this meeting with the Russians on the basis of Edinburgh’s own experience this season and that of others, Krasny Yar having shocked Stade Francais when they met in the pool opener.
“We are expected to win and if we play anywhere near our potential we should, but I said that before we played Treviso at home (and lost) so it will be interesting to see if we can turn up and do a really workman like performance, play like we want to play and get the job done as quickly as possible,” Cockerill said.
“We need to make sure that we start the game very strongly, but then continue that.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here