'They made a good Cardiff Blues side look very ordinary last weekend'

Richard Cockerill is content to see Edinburgh win ugly against Connacht on Friday night if it means his team will be sitting pretty at the end of the season.

The capital club currently top the Guinness PRO14’s Conference B, but Cockerill is refusing to get carried away.

The former England forward knows his side have work to do to clinch a play-off spot and he wants his team to make sure they get the points at Murrayfield any way they can.

He said: “The next two weeks will be important for us. Being top of the conference is great, and we’re delighted with that position, but we’re not getting too excited.

“We’re on good form in the league and the boys have continued to stay in the battle. These parts of the season aren’t about style, however, it’s about substance.

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“It’s about getting a ‘W’ at the end of the column, four points, and having an opportunity to compete in the play-offs.

“Connacht are a good team and they’ve got a coaching group that like to play. Andy Friend is a great coach and they play some expansive stuff.

This is how you sign off.

Thank you @dantuohy5 for the refreshing honesty. https://t.co/NQUYyaqVw1

— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 20, 2020

“They made a good Cardiff Blues side look very ordinary last weekend, so we know that we’ll have to be at the top of our game come Friday night.”

Lock Stan South makes his debut as one of five changes for the visit of the Irish province.

South – who joined from Exeter Chiefs earlier this month – and hooker Mike Willemse both start in a reshuffled tight five, as Fraser McKenzie and David Cherry miss out through injury.

Scotland international prop Simon Berghan returns to action in the only other alteration to the pack. In the backline, a new-look half-back pairing sees scrum-half Nic Groom – who skippers the side – and stand-off Simon Hickey get the nod.

PA