Cockerill could field a very different team against Glasgow next weekend
Edinburgh head coach Richard Cockerill has the luxury of “managing his squad” for Friday’s Guinness PRO14 clash with Glasgow after a successful return to action.
Cockerill’s side came back from a half-time deficit to seal a 30-15 victory over Warriors on Saturday and book their place in the Guinness PRO14 semi-finals.
Munster’s subsequent 27-25 defeat by Leinster left Edinburgh five points clear in Conference B and with an unassailable lead.
Even if Edinburgh were to collect zero points on Friday and Munster were to draw level with a bonus-point win, their positions in the table would go down to the number of wins, with the Scots already 11-9 ahead of the Irish province.
That ensures Edinburgh will have a home semi-final against Ulster to look forward to on September 4 and means Cockerill can use Friday’s final match of the regular season (against Glasgow) partly as a means of preparing for the knockout stages.
Speaking before the Munster result, Cockerill said he could “manage our squad differently” if a win was not needed on Friday.
He added: “We’ve still only played one game in five months so we need to get our guys match-fit to play knockout rugby.
“The fixture is also important and we want to pay respect to it. It means a lot to us to beat Glasgow, our local rivals, so we’ll put a team out that we think can win.
“If we don’t need to win to make a home semi, we might look after some boys.”
Edinburgh conceded tries from Pete Horne and Adam Hastings in the first half but the game turned around the hour mark and Nic Groom put the capital side back in front with his second try of the match.
Charlie Shiel’s solo try removed all doubt as Edinburgh enjoyed a comfortable final 20 minutes.
Cockerill said: “We did some really good things and some really poor things. But what I’m really happy with is the character of the team to stay in the battle and keep working.
“There was some good impact off the bench. We have to go and review and get better for next week.”
Glasgow’s defeat ended their slim hopes of reaching the last four and head coach Danny Wilson will continue experimenting after handing centre Huw Jones the number 15 jersey.
“I thought there was a lot of really good stuff from Huw, if I’m being brutally honest, but probably one or two errors,” Wilson said after his first game in charge.
“When you’re experimenting with something you’ve got to take a little bit on the chin and now was the time to do that.
“He had some really good moments in the game – he dealt with a lot of high balls, probably missed one, and maybe one kick that should have gone out. I thought on the whole he had a good performance.”
On Friday’s game, Wilson added: “It’s a derby, so we give that the full respect a derby deserves. If there’s supporters in at that game as well, then that’s another reason for us to give it all the respect it deserves.
“At the same time, for me and the coaching group, we’ll get a chance to look at other combinations, maybe. It’s trying to balance that and trying to win a game at the same time.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Should've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to comments