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Re: Richard Cockerill confirmed as HC

PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2017 3:16 pm
by GaryIPA
currie_gregor wrote:Cautiously optimistic with this appointment.

No denying he's a big name and proven winner, I'd rather win games ugly than lose them playing attractive rugby.

Also think he'll have contacts and influence on attracting good/better signings than say someone like Solly or Hodge...


I think the latter is important here, a ' I think something's going to happen here come and coach/play' to the right people at the right time could work wonders.

I hope he's being given a little war chest too for a couple of signings

Re: Richard Cockerill confirmed as HC

PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2017 3:34 pm
by Friday Knight Lights
GaryIPA wrote:
currie_gregor wrote:Cautiously optimistic with this appointment.

No denying he's a big name and proven winner, I'd rather win games ugly than lose them playing attractive rugby.

Also think he'll have contacts and influence on attracting good/better signings than say someone like Solly or Hodge...


I think the latter is important here, a ' I think something's going to happen here come and coach/play' to the right people at the right time could work wonders.

I hope he's being given a little war chest too for a couple of signings


Exactly, we moan about recruitment a lot and rightly so because a lot of signings are rubbish. But what was the appeal in Edinburgh? A club that had no obvious ambition to win trophies, not hugely rich, a no name coach, few superb players in the squad and no great culture you want to be part of.

People know who Cockerill is and know what he's about. It's a shame it's taken him so long to be confirmed as he would have pushed very hard to keep Nel before other clubs could swoop in (he might still stay of course). But now we have Cockerill as coach and if we keep someone like Nel and sign Bennett prospective signings will think "okay, they're building something potentially very good there".

Slightly linked - anyone know of Tigers out of contract players Cockerill might want to bring? Also, Scottish second row Andy Cramond is at Toulon, who better knows how good he is than the current forwards coach!

Re: Richard Cockerill confirmed as HC

PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2017 3:36 pm
by germain
Tichtheid wrote:A very good appointment, I think.

I hope he gets us showing the sheer bloody-mindedness, a simple refusal to lay down Leicester were famous for, guys like Jonno, Back and Corry just didn't understand giving up, it would never ever enter their heads


I would rather avoid mentionning Neil Back in this topic :D . We already know what he brought to us: 2011/2012 and the worst Edinburgh's season to date... (And it was already Dodson's choice: is he a leicester fan?).

I hope for a different outcome this time but I'm not really overjoyed.

edit: especially when you look at Connacht's appointment that seems far better (to me at least).

Re: Richard Cockerill confirmed as HC

PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2017 3:50 pm
by Friday Knight Lights
germain wrote:
Tichtheid wrote:A very good appointment, I think.

I hope he gets us showing the sheer bloody-mindedness, a simple refusal to lay down Leicester were famous for, guys like Jonno, Back and Corry just didn't understand giving up, it would never ever enter their heads


I would rather avoid mentionning Neil Back in this topic :D . We already know what he brought to us: 2011/2012 and the worst Edinburgh's season to date... (And it was already Dodson's choice: is he a leicester fan?).

I hope for a different outcome this time but I'm not really overjoyed.

edit: especially when you look at Connacht's appointment that seems far better (to me at least).


Who did Connacht hire? Jonno Gibbes to Ulster was a good appointment as well.

Re: Richard Cockerill confirmed as HC

PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2017 3:55 pm
by germain
Kieran Keane.
I was not aware of Jono Gibbes going to Ulster. As a forward coach or as a head-coach?

Re: Richard Cockerill confirmed as HC

PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2017 4:03 pm
by Friday Knight Lights
germain wrote:Kieran Keane.
I was not aware of Jono Gibbes going to Ulster. As a forward coach or as a head-coach?


I haven't heard of Keane until now, would be interesting to have Rennie at Glasgow and his assistant at Edinburgh - won't do much for the shouts the SRU favour Glasgow...

Head coach I believe so Ulster will likely be much better next year when they get back to having a very good pack that wins games.

Re: Richard Cockerill confirmed as HC

PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2017 4:22 pm
by Tichtheid
germain wrote:
Tichtheid wrote:A very good appointment, I think.

I hope he gets us showing the sheer bloody-mindedness, a simple refusal to lay down Leicester were famous for, guys like Jonno, Back and Corry just didn't understand giving up, it would never ever enter their heads


I would rather avoid mentionning Neil Back in this topic :D . We already know what he brought to us: 2011/2012 and the worst Edinburgh's season to date....



I hesitated in mentioning him, but as I was talking about him as a player I went ahead with it, he was a winner on the field, ask any Munster fan.

Re: Richard Cockerill confirmed as HC

PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2017 5:22 pm
by djphilp
Whilst I'm not ripping up trees with excitement about this appointment, I am happy enough to give him time to show us what he can do. After all he can hardly do any worse than the last 5 head/acting head coaches have done :eek: .

I personally would have preferred to see a whole new coaching team brought in under Cockerill as I don't believe in just changing the head when it's pretty obvious the rest of the body is riddled with mediocrity. However that has been the SRU way with all its coaching appointments so I guess it wasn't ever going to be any different this time.

Also why are we waiting till the start of next season to bring him in. He's only at Toulon on a consultancy role so surely that could be terminated by him as soon as he wanted. :roll:

Re: Richard Cockerill confirmed as HC

PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2017 5:56 pm
by adi1314
Could have been better / Could have been worse!! Only time will tell.

Re: Richard Cockerill confirmed as HC

PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2017 6:00 pm
by GaryIPA
Chat he may have turned down some french gigs

Re: Richard Cockerill confirmed as HC

PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2017 6:13 pm
by Friday Knight Lights
Here's a Torygraph exclusive with Cockerill about Edinburgh: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/ ... um=twitter

Key part is this bit I'd say:

“I didn’t get the job at Leicester through being a coach somewhere else, it was just through circumstance (in 2009-11). It’ll be different at Edinburgh. At Leicester it was all the about the here and now, winning every game and winning trophies. That is what you had to deliver. Edinburgh have never finished higher than eighth in the Pro12 so we will all have to get used to new ways and new outlooks. I want to win things but that simply isn’t going to happen straight away. The first question I will put to the staff there is to ask them what they think the identity of Edinburgh Rugby is and go from there. Clearly whatever they have been doing hasn’t worked out as well as they would have liked. Perhaps everyone has been a bit comfortable. There will have to be change, in me as well as in everyone else.”


Not sure about the claim we've never finished higher than eighth though ... Is that a technicality as our second placed finish was in the Celtic League?

I like the cut of his jib, coming here to prove a point and understands the dynamics of a job in Scotland putting to bed the concerns about using the academy.

Re: Richard Cockerill confirmed as HC

PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2017 6:29 pm
by Martin Bell
Good spot, FKL.

I also like that he is moving his family to Edinburgh. it's a great city and all that, but he is making a commitment in doing that alone, which is good to see.

Re: Richard Cockerill confirmed as HC

PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2017 6:29 pm
by Ayton1keith
Friday Knight Lights wrote:Here's a Torygraph exclusive with Cockerill about Edinburgh: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/ ... um=twitter

Key part is this bit I'd say:

“I didn’t get the job at Leicester through being a coach somewhere else, it was just through circumstance (in 2009-11). It’ll be different at Edinburgh. At Leicester it was all the about the here and now, winning every game and winning trophies. That is what you had to deliver. Edinburgh have never finished higher than eighth in the Pro12 so we will all have to get used to new ways and new outlooks. I want to win things but that simply isn’t going to happen straight away. The first question I will put to the staff there is to ask them what they think the identity of Edinburgh Rugby is and go from there. Clearly whatever they have been doing hasn’t worked out as well as they would have liked. Perhaps everyone has been a bit comfortable. There will have to be change, in me as well as in everyone else.”


Certainly talking the talk in that interview. I can see parallels with when Dean Richards took over at Newcastle. Two teams who were definitely under performing. Richards came into Newcastle,brought in some experience season on season and integrated the youngsters from their academy. They have improved slowly season on season since then and on a smallish budget compared to other clubs and are now vying for top 6 and possibly top 4 this season.
There isn't going to be an overnight fix when Cockerill takes over but with a bit of planning and development this could well be a project that might just pay dividends.

A previous poster asked about any Leicester players out of contract, not sure if out of contract but here would be my choice of Captain Tom Croft if injury free. Thoughts

Re: Richard Cockerill confirmed as HC

PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2017 6:33 pm
by GaryIPA
And hes moving his whole family here

Re: Richard Cockerill confirmed as HC

PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2017 6:47 pm
by crispy
I wasn't 100% sold on Cockerill and I'm disappointed a Scottish coach couldn't be found, but I'm glad the SRU has made an early decision and cleared up any uncertainty surrounding the club. I'm feeling optimistic again.