RUGBY: Edinburgh can end Ulster's Guinness PRO14 hopes

Edinburgh will look to put their European Challenge Cup quarter-final home loss to Cardiff Blues last weekend behind them as they look to secure Champions Cup rugby for next season on Friday night.
Edinburgh defeated Ulster in Belfast with a last gasp drop goalEdinburgh defeated Ulster in Belfast with a last gasp drop goal
Edinburgh defeated Ulster in Belfast with a last gasp drop goal

A win over Ulster at Murrayfield will secure a place in the Guinness PRO14 Final series and with it automatic qualification for the premier European competition next season.

It would leave Ulster battling it out with Italian side Benetton for fourth place in Conference B of the PRO14 and a play-off place for the Champions Cup next season.

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Edinburgh head coach Richard Cockerill believes his side will not let their standards slip again as they did in the loss to Cardiff.

“We have some expectation within the playing group. What I expect is 100% commitment and I want us to put our best game out on the field, which we have done more often than not,” Corckerill told Edinburgh Rugby.

“We let ourselves down a little bit against Cardiff, but we need to go through those experiences to come back and review why we played within ourselves.

“We played not to lose instead of looking to take the game by the scruff of the neck.

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“We made a couple of errors - that happens - but we are a better team than we showed against Cardiff.

“But, we are gaining respect from our opposition.

“If beating Edinburgh in Edinburgh is what the top sides are talking about, its shows that teams are respecting us in the competition and taking notice of us.

“Teams need to know that if they don’t prepare properly, and get it right, it’s going to be a tough game.”

Cockerill added: ““Ulster are a good side. They are going to bring Rory Best, Piutau, Stockdale, Henderson. They are all world class players.

I’m sure Piutau costs as much as our back line, but that’s ok,” he joked.

“It’s a great experience for us and I have no doubt that if we can compete, we can beat them,” added Cockerill