Duncan Hodge thinks facing the team leading arguably the toughest league in world rugby at BT Murrayfield tonight could actually be a relief for his beleaguered Edinburgh side.
The capital club have lost six matches on the bounce in the Guinness PRO12 and are enduring an injury crisis that will result in former Dunfermline tight head Murray McCallum switching sides of the scrum as they face Top 14 leaders La Rochelle in the quarter-finals of the European Challenge Cup.
But Edinburgh can recall that they’ve performed above themselves in Europe while toiling in the league on many occasions – not least when they reached the Challenge Cup final just two years ago – and the fact that it’s a clean slate could help them.
“Yeah there is a bit of that, a complete change of scene,” said acting head coach Hodge, who admits that his team’s performances have been frustrating him in the last few weeks.
“We are playing against fresh opposition. They play in a different league with a different style. Even a quarter final back at Murrayfield is fresh stimulus. All that could be a good thing for us at this moment in time.”
Hodge does not have his problems to seek with two key men added to Edinburgh’s lengthy injury list. Alan Dell failed his HIA protocol this week while Ben Toolis has been suffering from back spasms, which means McCallum and Grant Gilchrist come into the pack.
Hodge has made just one tactical change preferring Jason Tovey to Duncan Weir – a sure sign that Edinburgh intend to move the big La Rochelle pack around the wide open spaces of the Murrayfield international pitch.
“That was a tough call,” said the coach. “But we’ve got to get a balance, we’ve got to fire some shots. They’re a decent team and it’s just getting that balance between attack and defence.”
Ross Ford, skipper again tonight, has been part of two teams that bucked poor form in the league by going to the business end in Europe, during the last Challenge Cuo run and also Edinburgh’s semi-final appearance in the Champions Cup itself.
“There’s been no magic formula for that,” he said. “Unfortunately it’s been the case when it would be better if we were more even across the board but we’ve not been.
“But take the positives from that this year we’ve played well in the Challenge Cup and it’s something we take confidence from.
“Our league form’s been poor but in Europe we’ve performed pretty well and got some pretty decent results in Europe, a win away at Harlequins and a bonus point against Stade Francais. It’s separate and if things aren’t going great it gives you something different to focus on.”
Ford also agrees that Edinburgh’s attitude could be that the rest of their season hinges on this one game, but doesn’t want to over hype it.
“The good thing is we’re still in at least one competition in the business side of it,” he reasoned. “You can take that side of it and put it all on this game.
“Our undoings in recent games have been little things with ourselves. What we don’t want is to get too hyped up about what’s surrounding the game, what the competition is and who we are playing. We just concentrate on getting a good start and then executing on the small things we do well.
“You don’t want to amp up too much what’s on the line, just have no fear to go out and express ourselves in the structured way we want to play.”
La Rochelle, currently top of the T14, have sprung a surprise in their named XV with playmaker Brock James, huge French international prop Uini Atonio and former All Black No 8 Victor Vito all left out, although there’s still room for key men Kevin Gourdon and veteran New Zealand lock Jason Eaton.
Edinburgh team (vs La Rochelle, European Challenge Cup quarter-final, tonight, BT Murrayfield ko 8 pm, Sky Sports)
B Kinghorn; D Hoyland, C Dean, P Burleigh, T Brown; J Tovey, S Hidalgo-Clyne; M McCallum, R Ford, S Berghan; A Bresler, G Gilchrist; V Mata, H Watson, C du Preez.
Replacements: S McInally, K Whyte, K Bryce, F McKenzie, V Fihaki, N Fowles, D Weir, G Bryce.
