Richard Cockerill is calling for caution ahead of tonight’s potentially quarter-final clinching European Challenge Cup tie with Russians Krasny Yar at Murrayfield but the last two months could barely have gone better for Edinburgh.
A bonus point win over the Siberians at BT Murrayfield tonight – the capital club scored 73 points when the sides met in Moscow in October – would almost certainly guarantee them a last eight place with a maximum 20 games through four rounds of pool play.
Cockerill has piloted the team to win seven of their last eight games, averaging more than 37 points scored a game, and all the while rotating his squad furiously to keep his players fresh for the big 1872 Cup doubleheader against Glasgow Warriors over Christmas and New Year.
The coach is however taking nothing for granted and admits that the fixtures have fallen kindly for his side during their recent run.
“In some ways these two weeks are maybe easier than playing in the league for us,” he said. “But 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.
“We have some good young players that are getting opportunities. Those who have stepped up get the opportunity again, that cfreates competition and hopefully nobody gets too comfortable in the starting shirt.
“On the other hand, we have guys who have played test matches who we have been able to rest.”
Krasny Yar’s two performances against Stade Francais were in stark contrast to the way Edinburgh swatted them aside in Moscow, beating the reigning Challenge Cup champions at home and then giving them a rough ride in Paris last week.
“They clearly have the physical potential, but they can be a little bit random on how they approach the game,” said Cockerill. “We need to make sure we start the game strongly.
“It is a good test for us. We have to do all the basics very well, we can’t just expect to turn up and win. We have to make sure we are physical, mentally switched on, which we were last week and we were very motivated in the away game in Moscow.
“We are expected to win and if we play anywhere near our potential we should. But we can’t be sloppy with the physical parts of the game, our set piece and our defence in particular, and make sure we control the ball.
“We’ve scored lots of tries in the last few weeks, we’re playing a good brand of rugby, but we need now to make sure we can do that against sides that will be slightly more unconventional than some of the others we play.”
Cockerill has brought in big wing Duwan van de Merwe for his home debut, and recalls club skipper Fraser McKenzie among 11 changes to the team that ran up a half-century against London Irish, another match switched to Murrayfield because of the cold snap.
Darcy Graham, a try-scorer on his debut, is being tried at full-back and Cockerill is keen to see him there.
“He has played there before at age group level,” he said. “Darcy is a very good counter attacker, he’s going to be predominantly a wing but he has a very good running game with his pace and footwork.
“It’s good for a younger player who plays on the wing to also play at full-back so he gets to understand that role, so and what the full-back needs from his wingers. It’s good for Darcy’s development.”
Edinburgh: D Graham; D Hoyland, J Johnstone, C Dean, D van der Merwe; J Van der Walt, S Kennedy; R Sutherland, N Cochrane, M McCallum; F McKenzie (captain), L Carmichael; M Bradbury, J Ritchie, C du Preez. Replacements: C Fenton, K Bryce, M Shields, V Mata, L Crosbie, N Fowles, B Kinghorn, J Rasoela.
Krasny Yar: V Artemyev (captain); S Latu, G Pruidze, K Golosnitskii, E Kolomiitcev; L Malaguradze, V Dorofeev; S Fukofuka, A Kondakov, A Bitiev; A Mahu, A Garbuzov; V Gresev, V Arhip, O Prepelitse. Replacements: V Tsnobiladze, G Tsnobiladze, M Tsiklauri, A Khudiakov, E Zykov, A Riabov, I Galinovskiy, F Apikotoa.
