Racing Metro vs Edinburgh - game 5, pool 2, Heino

Here's how the group stands as we head towards game 5:

Pos Team Pl W D L Pts
1 Edinburgh 4 3 0 1 13
2 Cardiff Blues 4 3 0 1 13
3 London Irish 4 1 0 3 8
4 Racing Métro 92 4 1 0 3 7

From today's Scotland on Sunday paper:

Heineken Cup: Comeback king Mike Blair relishing Paris match

By Iain Morrison
Published on Saturday 7 January 2012 21:47

TWO seasons ago Edinburgh Rugby packed their bags and headed for Paris, with a spring in their step and a song in their hearts, to do European battle against Stade Francais on their own turf.

The match was over almost before it began as the classy Parisians ran riot, with a four-try bonus point in the bag before the half-time whistle.

Edinburgh travel to Paris again, this time to face Racing Metro 92 on Friday evening, needing a win in their penultimate pool match to give them a fighting chance of landing a place in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals for only the second time in history. It won’t be easy. Just to underline the size of the task ahead of them, that loss to Stade in 2009 was their 17th defeat in a run of 18 Heineken matches away from home.

Since then Edinburgh have pipped London Irish at Reading by the stately margin of one point and bested Racing, who spend like Shirley Bassey, by the exact same margin at Murrayfield. If nothing else Michael Bradley’s men have cornered the market in comebacks after recovering from 19-10 down at the Madejski Stadium to win 20-19 and overcoming a whopping 44-20 deficit in the first leg against Racing to triumph 48-47; a once in a lifetime match that will remain with those that witnessed it as long as they have breath in their bodies.

It’s certainly seared into the brain of Edinburgh scrum-half Mike Blair. Was it the weirdest game that he has ever played?

“Comfortably!” he replies with a laugh as though the memories of that extraordinary evening have yet to fully sink in after Edinburgh grabbed four touchdowns in the final quarter to clinch a famous victory.

“Firstly, coming on at half-time and then just how the game went. We were sitting in the dugout at the start when Edinburgh went 17-3 up and we were just laughing. Then for the next 25 minutes I have never seen a team attack like Racing did. They were phenomenal. They didn’t do anything special, no set moves, just hard running and amazing pace.

“It’s a funny one because, as a rugby fan, you wanted to applaud them. It took a lot [for Edinburgh] to get back into that game because if you give Racing lots of ball that’s what they are capable of doing.”

The little No.9’s introduction to that Racing game on 40 minutes, allied to Greig Laidlaw’s move to stand-off, went a long way towards securing the win thanks to the tempo the duo bring to the game. As Blair admitted, they didn’t achieve much in that third quarter except exhaust the opposition so when the knockout blows arrived in the final 20 it took a rabbit punch rather than a haymaker to fell the French giants.

There is no doubt that that Racing game was a crucial stage in the development of this young Edinburgh squad that has struggled in the RaboDirect Pro12 and badly needed some self-confidence to boost their raw talent. “In both games [London Irish and Racing] you would probably have bet 50 quid on the opposition winning at some point during the match,” says Blair. “So to come back from that was massively significant. You get used to it [winning]. You think there’s always a chance. If you get blown away from that situation, you don’t throw the towel in, but there’s less of a chance you’re going to get back into the game.

“We came back in that Racing game from 24 points down! There’s a belief that no matter how far behind we are there is always going to be a chance [to win].”

Undoubtedly Edinburgh were helped by the opposition on the night because it is a by-law of Racing rugby that the Parisians play with style and panache. They are, after all, the club that famously rode bicycles to one match in the amateur era, sported berets when playing Bayonne and long striped shorts, as styled by the sans-culottes, in one 1989 match to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the storming of the Bastille. In the 1990 French Cup final against Agen the players drank champagne at half time and wore pink bow ties throughout. Oh yes, and they won.

This is the origin of the cute little “Eden Park” bow tie emblem adorning the clothes of the company founded by Franck Mesnel and Eric Blanc, two former Racing players. This is a club that oozes style and one that would almost find it demeaning to stick the ball up their jerseys and grind out a win over Edinburgh’s relatively lightweight forward pack.

In truth, Racing tried the tactic just once in that Murrayfield match; a lineout catch and drive early in the game. Edinburgh’s pack blitzed it, driving it back and breaking it up before the maul could do any damage. They knew full well that if they allowed the first rolling maul to succeed they would be defending them for the remainder of the match. Instead, Racing threw the ball about and when that happens Edinburgh always have a puncher’s chance.

Only against Cardiff at Murrayfield did Edinburgh’s forwards grab the game and dominate the opposition eight. Blair likens that experience to the home victory over Toulouse in the 2003-4 season which paved the way for qualification to the last eight, but it’s asking a lot of Edinburgh’s big men to do the same in Paris.

The scrum-half is now one of the club’s longest serving players and he cuts a more relaxed figure than in the past. He admits to concerns about how involved he’d be this season, with Greig Laidlaw being the club captain, but also talks about helping the younger players at the club when he has not always seen the bigger picture.

He is one of just three squad members who competed in the club’s only quarter-final appearance along with Chris Paterson and Allan Jacobsen. That squad boasted a host of well-known, tried and tested international players like Todd Blackadder, Scott Murray, Nathan Hines, Ally Hogg, Simon Taylor and Brendan Laney, whereas today’s Edinburgh squad is largely unheralded and none the worse for that. A host of eager young players are desperate to make their name and perhaps they approach the Heineken Cup with fewer hang-ups than the older generation who have tasted so much failure. Despite the lack of superstars, Blair likes the current blend of the Edinburgh squad. He talks at length about how the veterans are having to prove themselves to the younger generation and vice versa and if you find it difficult to comprehend just how young some Edinburgh’s are then you are in good company.

“Harry Leonard’s really made his mark this season but I’d never heard of him before”, says Blair, “and I had no idea he was 19 until I’d played two games with him.”

Edinburgh have a golden opportunity to make a name for themselves and while it is surely asking too much for a repeat of that classic Murrayfield encounter, at least Racing will come to play rugby. Whether the aristocrats of French rugby are also prepared to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty is the key.

“It depends how they are going to take the game, doesn’t it?” Blair asks rhetorically. “They can put a full-strength team out that aren’t bothered about it. You can have a second-string team that are trying to prove themselves to the coaches. You never really know how it’s going to play.”

Big test for this Edinburgh team, altho I suspect a lot will depend on which team Rm92 decide to put out - can't wait, v excited

And an interview with JM Hernandez from the same paper:

Argentine great Hernandez has revenge on his mind


Published on Sunday 8 January 2012 00:00

IF EDINBURGH are to win in Paris they will have to shackle Racing Metro stand-off Juan Martin Hernandez. The gifted Argentine was the star turn at the 2007 Rugby World Cup where he guided the South Americans to third place and not one but two victories over the host nation, France. His exploits also included a hat-trick of drop goals in the pool match against Ireland and another in the quarter-final win over Scotland.

A knee injury ruled him out of last year’s World Cup in New Zealand but Hernandez has made a full recovery. He played at No.10 for Racing in the extraordinary Heineken Cup match at Murrayfield in November when Edinburgh trailed by 24 points but fought back to win 48-47.

Iain Morrison caught up with him ahead of the sides’ rematch in Paris on Friday night.

Q Have you ever played in a more bizarre match than the last game between Edinburgh and Racing at Murrayfield?

A To be honest, I never played a match with both teams scoring so many points. I did play games where the scoreboard went for one team, then to the other and back to the first one, but not with that amount of points. I think that first game was a good spectacle for the supporters, where both teams played very good rugby, scored plenty of tries and enjoyed it. So I hope to have and feel the same for [the] next one, but Racing to win this time.

Q Did Edinburgh surprise you in any way during the first match and, if so, how?

A Yes, they surprised me the way they came back after losing by more than 20 points in the second half. We were under control of the game until two big mistakes that gave them hope and they took it. It’s admirable. There’s also a lack of maturity from our part, giving them that chance, but still I had to congratulate my friend Esteban Lozada [Edinburgh’s Argentine lock] and his team because they deserved the victory after so much effort.

Q Have Racing given up on Europe to concentrate on the Top 14?

A I say it’s not finished until it’s finished. So we still have a little chance against Edinburgh at home and if others results are with us, we could eventually play our way to qualification in Cardiff. I know it’s a very difficult game next Friday because Edinburgh has lot of confidence and momentum in this competition, but I still believe in my team.

Q If so will that influence team selection for the second Edinburgh match?

A That is a question for the coach Pierre Berbizier.

Q Racing have a famous history of playing rugby with flair and so do you... is that why you joined the club?

A I joined Racing because the project, ambition and big names of players arriving were a great challenge after a few injuries I’d had. That motivated me to join a traditional rugby club in France, contributing to build the team and trying to put Racing on top of all the clubs in France again.

Q Everyone expected Racing to use their big forwards against Edinburgh in the first match but instead they used the backs. Is that the Racing way?

A We’ve been trying since the beginning of the season to play a good blend of rugby between forwards and backs, not only with our big forwards. Sometimes we can, in other matches we are constrained by opponents, weather, or the players we have available. So one match is never the same as another but we still have a pattern that we try to respect. Then two tries against us in the first five minutes at Murrayfield pushed us to start playing more than we were used to.

Q Will Racing make special efforts in defence to stop Edinburgh’s Dutch winger Tim Visser next Friday?

A He is a good player as are the rest of his team-mates, so we have to make big efforts to stop not only him, but any Edinburgh player. It’s true that he’s in good shape, scoring tries and breaking tackles. It’s up to us to win our one-to-one situations.

Q Will Racing be looking for revenge next Friday?

A Rugby always gives revenge opportunities. So next game I hope we do things better than Edinburgh in order to find hope before going to Cardiff.

You got that table wrong

The Blues are still top of the table as it is based on head-to-head results first.

not until round 6 has been played it isn't wales606.

That table is as per the ERC website.

Exactly as Pete says, the head-to-head has no bearing unless two teams are tied after the final round

wales606 wrote:You got that table wrong

The Blues are still top of the table as it is based on head-to-head results first.

Just like Aslong said, it will probably be irrelevant after the next round but its good to see even the ERC can't get it right. In their rules section it clearly states most points from the head to head matches (Cardiff 5 points to our 4) is above number of tries (I think Edinburgh had 2 tries to Cardiff's 1 try). But then they have Edinburgh above Cardiff in the pool tables.

Still, think I'll enjoy Edinburgh being top of the pool while it lasts...

Anyway back to game 5...

Pretty worried about this one, think a lot of people have written off RM and that's exactly when teams sometimes play their best rugby. Blair's right that we can't relax if a second string side is picked, especially with the money and squad depth RM have.

I hope that we've seen the back of Godman for a few games and it's back to Laidlaw at ten.

Agree totally optimist - big danger in taking RM too lightly and I don't even want to see (good)Godman on the subs bench. Would marginally prefer Scott over King at 12, but happy to go either way. Gilchrist and Lozada in the boiler room, Rennie/Grant, McInally and 'dozer in the backrow

I'd even be happy for Leonard to take the 10 shirt in this game, even if it's just for the first half - if things go Pete Tong, bring on Blair a scrum half and shunt Laidlaw along the line to steady the ship

HC matches probably don't get much tougher than this one. Racing are a good side who were extremely unlucky not to beat us at Murrayfield.

For me Bradley has to pick his strongest side. The likes of Godman or Webster in this side and it's game over.

My Pick :

1. Chunk
2. Ford
3. Cross
4. Gilchrist
5. Lozada
6. Denton
7. Grant
8. Rambo

9. Laidlaw
10. Leonard
11. Visser
12. King
13. NDL
14. Jones
15. JT

16. Niven
17. Kelly
18. Cox
19. Rennie
20. Talei
21. Blair
22. Scott
23. Mossy

Can't disagree with much of that, Radge - might give Rennie the nod over Roddy Grant and Matt Scott over King, and would defo swap Mossy and JT, but wouldn't be unhappy to see your side. Time to tighten up the defense, lads

Massive game for Edinburgh and for Bradley. He needs to get the selection absolutely spot on for this one, and I'm pretty much in agreement with the side selected above with the changes suggested by ASBO.

Big danger here. Edinburgh need to get onto the scoreboard early, if Racing get up a head of steam then Edinburgh will be finished early doors. Despite the table and the prior result, Edinburgh are massive underdogs, and could really use a daft team selection from Berbezier. Edinburgh have no form and rhythm coming into this game, Bradley has ensured that is the case. What they do have is some rested key players. Hopefully that will prove influential.

To be fair I would not be upset to see the changes you guys suggested either. I would also be happy for Talei to replace Rambo. As long as the Core of that squad is selecetd I'm happy.

Niven I have been really quite impressed with lately. Chunk is irreplacable at loosehead but in truth Niven is becoming a much better scrummaging unit and is quicker in the loose although not as strong.

It is quite simply a do or die game. We need IMO 5 points from our remaining 2 games to make it through, even as the best placed runners up. 8 is achievable and far more comfortable though.

I agree - Edinburgh need to get something from this, even if only a losing bonus point, and hope that Irish beat Cardiff without scoring 4 tries, but depriving Cardiff of a losing bonus point.

That would mean that Edinburgh would still top the group and, at home, would need to beat Irish in the last game, which is frankly going to be a must win game.

A win in France is obviously preferrable, but I'm not sure I can see a way for that to happen based on the mess Bradley has overseen in recent matches.

From scottishrugbyblog.co.uk:

"As Edinburgh and Glasgow go searching for success in the Heineken Cup this weekend it is important to understand that both teams must go to the extremes of their outlay if they are to keep their European fate in their own hands. They have pulled off some fantastic results, but as the old adage goes “one swallow does not make a summer”.

Edinburgh are to replay Racing Metro ’92 this Friday. The last time they met one of the finest ever games of Heineken Cup rugby was played and a lucky few got to know what true excitement looked like at Murrayfield. It was the game that spawned the phrase ‘Edinburgh Globetrotters’. Now, though, those Globetrotters have to make their way to Paris in search of a vital European victory.

Do not be fooled. This is Edinburgh Rugby’s most important game of the season.

Michael Bradley has freely fielded weakened teams in the RaboDirect Pro12. He gave up on the second leg of the 1872 Cup and last week his charges were smashed by Ulster, despite recalling several front-line players. He has previously claimed that there is no First XV at Edinburgh, but now that he has overplayed the significance of the Heineken Cup and his side’s Pro12 form has lacked so much this game becomes must win. If it isn’t won with a return of his more experienced players he will have egg on his face.

So they must go to the extremes. There is no way of knowing whether or not the enigmatic French outfit will be up for this game, but this should have no bearing on how Edinburgh go about their business. With all the usual clichés listed Edinburgh must have good defence, yes, and good set-piece, yes, and take their points, yes, but they must also unleash their most adventurous attacking play. Edinburgh have to remove the shackles and tear into a swashbuckling game plan.

If they do not win, and win heavily, then they allow Cardiff Blues to play a part in their future outcome. They are neck and neck in Pool 2 with the Welsh outfit. A journalist I spoke to last week said that Edinburgh were topping the competition’s weakest pool. They need to stay there in order to have a more favourable draw for the next round, and they are capable of doing so. Cardiff, though, are capable too and Edinburgh need to score big to spread out in front of them.

They look well placed to progress but if the Heineken Cup is more important than the league then Edinburgh should be targeting the top of their pool table."

Makes some good points, particularly on Bradley. Any coach that claims his club has "no 1st XV" is not a good coach in my book.

He needs to do everything this week with 100% conviction, and that needs to be carried onto the pitch, where the blog rightly states that Edinburgh need to throw caution to the wind. They won't win any other way.

strange comments about "no 1st XV". Until recently, id thought that bradley had very much identified a 1st XV, and was doing a good job of maintaining continuity, without ignoring players actual performances. Now I dont know what to think...

He seems to have been thrown off course by the return to fitness of players like Godman, Houston and Webster, particularly Godman. He obviously had in his mind that Godman was an international player and the incumbent fly half at Edinburgh prior to injury, and therefore when he returned to fitness he should be thrown back in. The facts are though that both Leonard and Laidlaw are playing better rugby.

Bradley needs to just ignore age, salaries and reputations and just go with the best players. Leonard and Scott formed a far more dangerous combination than Godman and Houston, so why change?

funnyExiledScot wrote:Makes some good points, particularly on Bradley. Any coach that claims his club has "no 1st XV" is not a good coach in my book.

He needs to do everything this week with 100% conviction, and that needs to be carried onto the pitch, where the blog rightly states that Edinburgh need to throw caution to the wind. They won't win any other way.

To be fair, a coach can't really come out and say "Yeah, my first XV is nailed on, I will only ever change it if someone gets injured" - that doesn't really provide motivation to the starting XV, the subs or the fringe players. By saying he has no XV gives the message that no one is nailed on and the jersey goes to those who proved themselves. No doubt he has a first XV in his head but its very counter intuitive to come out and say that.

Red Right wrote:No doubt he has a first XV in his head but its very counter intuitive to come out and say that.

The problem is that his recent selections suggest one of two things: (i) he genuinely doesn't know his best XV, or (ii) he does know his best XV, and thinks that by resting his best players weeks before the HC matches, he gives himself the best chance of progressing to the HC QF.

(i) is a big problem for me. Sure, I've no issue with him merely saying that no-one is guaranteed their spot and that he'll pick on merit (although why not just say that), but with the constant tinkering with selection we've seen in recent matches, and the frankly stupid selection for the Glasgow game at Firhill, I'm not convinced.

On (ii), I disagree, I prefer players who have been playing recently ahead of ones who have been rested, but plenty coaches I'm sure would support Bradley on this, and say that a fully fit squad in France is better than a battle-hardened one carrying a few niggles. Time will tell. It really is make or break for Bradley. The only positive results wise is this HC run, and we shouldn't get too carried away with a couple of one point victories.

ExiledScot - I can't dissagree with anything you've said. I don't know the Edinburgh set up well enough to know what the overall strenght of the squad is, based on that I can't make any assesment on Bradley's squad rotation.

The differences in HC and Rabo form do back up what you are saying though. It appears that he is sacrificing a lot in the hope of getting a HC QF spot.

I tend to agree with you regarding teams picks on the week before the HC - unless there are injuries I think that no team should be going in cold to a big HC game - ideally rest them 2 or 3 weeks before and play the weekend before. Ulster travelled with a good squad last week and it would have been a good work out in preparation of Racing. I know there will always be a fear of injuries but I think its more important to be battle hardened.

Braldeys picks have been strange, but they have been much better than Moffat's. At least Bradley can be forgiven in the fact that he is resting his more important players to keep them fresh.

Moffat dropped players who were performing well on purpose!

That's true - he is an infinite improvement on Moffat. Roddy Grant is yet to play number 8 this season, and for that we should all be thankful.

From Fraser Gillies on scottishrugbyblog.co.uk:

"Racing to the Finish

You might think that all the pressure is on Edinburgh this Friday night. With little progress being made domestically, Edinburgh’s season will be defined by these remaining pool matches. Racing Metro, on the other hand, have no chance of progressing.
It is, however, not as simple as that. Racing are coming off one away defeat to Montpellier and an ugly draw in Perpignan. They lie 6th equal in the league and remain a shadow of the team they were last year. The fans are beginning to get agitated with the tinkering style of Pierre Berbizier’s selections and the players he remains loyal to, such as Sireli Bobo.

The fans have very high expectations for their club, and rightly so given the money being spent. They certainly do not take the clichéd view of French fans who don’t care about Europe. They absolutely expect to win at home and see no reason why they should lose to a team so lowly as Edinburgh. The players clearly underestimated Edinburgh and that will not be allowed to happen again.

If it is tight going into the final twenty minutes, the pressure of the Colombes crowd will not allow a self-destruction like there was at Murrayfield.

One thing that will lift Racing is the return of Francois Steyn who came off the bench in Perpignan after a long lay-off post-World Cup. He last played for the club in Marseille in the semi-final of the Top 14 where Racing imploded. Francois was by no means perfect but the way he kept his head when all about him were losing theirs, not to mention his sheer endeavour, really warmed him to me. His dishevelled appearance in the Gare St Charles before boarding the TGV back to Paris showed him truly distraught and ready to drown his sorrows. Edinburgh’s penalty count will have to be as low as it has ever been to prevent him leaving his mark on the scoreboard.

Racing’s fixtures in the next month show Edinburgh, Cardiff then two season-defining games against the best teams in France. The first, at home to Toulouse, will be played at the Stade de France. Racing must start showing some form if they want that occasion to be as successful as last year’s, where they very nearly filled the Stade. The second is in the bear-pit of Clermont. If they come away from those two meetings with any points then Racing might just get their swagger back, proving that they can actually keep up with the very best.

If they are to take points off Toulouse and Clermont, however, they must start winning now. The time for finding some form is running out.

Racing may not care about beating Edinburgh in the Heineken Cup, but they most certainly do care about Toulouse and Clermont Auvergne and they do care about winning at Colombes. It is getting to the stage in the season where they can ill afford that traditional French luxury of picking and choosing."

It's true - no fans turn on their own side quite like the French. Let's hope Edinburgh can produce something early doors to get the French fans agitated.

Let's hope that Embra deliver: Rosco ready (from today's Hootsman)

From the scottishrugbyblog again:

"Greig Laidlaw, Paris Bound

Posted by Alan Dymock at 8.00am

You’re at home. You’re packing. You’ve got a big game on Friday. You’re thinking about your team going into the game against Racing, but you’re trying not to think about the game. The TV’s on in the background but you’re not sure what rubbish is on. Did you put in enough socks? You’re always looking for something and forget what it is halfway between rooms. Don’t stuff it all in. The phone’s going.
Neutral tone. Job at hand. You’re being asked about whether you feel the pressure of scoring tries. Answer. Be honest.

“No”.

Good start Greig. Go on.

“The pressure is on us to win and if we win then we are in a good position. If we focus too much on tries then we might lose sight of the bigger picture.

“When the attack is right we do well and Edinburgh have to play the way Edinburgh play. We have loads of confidence in our play, not just because we beat them last time. Attack won’t be the issue. In the last game attack wasn’t the issue. We leaked 47 points. We will have to be right defensively”.

Nicely done. Ignore the house phone going in the background. Next job.

“Of course we respect Racing after that game. But not just certain players, we respect the whole team. They’ve got a lot of World Class guys. Look at Chabal. Look at Hernandez. Francois Steyn might even be in the mix this weekend.

“We need to perform against them. You’re right, we played poorly against Ulster and we lost. We lost like that because of performance, and if we go into Friday’s game against Racing with the same frame of mind we will come out with the same result.

“We will also have to play rugby. If we head there and try to grind out a win then we won’t get that performance, and we won’t play like Edinburgh play. Yeah, I’m confident,” –why is he asking about me? It’s about the team, get him back onto the team – “but it’s about getting the consistency level. We were poor last Friday night. We need a big performance. We really need to get this one. Cardiff will do what Cardiff do. It’s this one”.

Pause. “Oh definitely.” Ah. A different way of asking about you. “You’ve always got a point to prove when you play. Yes I was disappointed not to be involved with Scotland in the World Cup and I want to play for Scotland. I have big ambition”.

The pace is picking up here. Would you rather play 9 or 10? Was that a laugh?

“Yeah. Stick a number on my back and if I’m the best in that position I’ll play.”

A flash of navy blue. You think about it. It isn’t just about you, though. You know you are leading other people and you represent Edinburgh rugby. Maybe sometimes you should promote yourself a bit more, but that isn’t even a thought for you normally. That’s why you’re a good leader. You calm a bit. It’s not time to think of 6 Nations, just like it’s not time to play Racing. Not yet. There’s a day of travelling as of tomorrow. You push Friday’s first kick to the back of your mind, alongside the thoughts of Scotland. There, but blurry. Like the TV. Like the match day pants in your eyeline.

“Are the likes of Lee Jones and David Denton expected to raise their performance after being selected for the Scotland squad? I don’t think they can- they’ve been playing well all season.

“Lee Jones has been frustrated in the last couple of weeks because we haven’t been going to him and he hasn’t been getting the ball in his hands. But he is dangerous. He can cause Racing problems and we will be looking to use him as much as we can on Friday.

“As for Denton: he has been magnificent for us. He will be up for it and I know he’ll want to be taking on their back-row…”

You’re done. You’ve conveyed a little of what you want achieved on Friday, but not too much. You want to win, and he definitely knows that from listening to you. Maybe he wanted to know more about how significant this game was in terms of the whole season but he never asked in the end. You even said goodbye the way you planned.

You’d love to kick it like that agai-

No, no, no. Next job.

What the hell where you looking for, again…?"

Reading between the lines, I think that this is the side we will likely see:

15. Paterson
14. Jones
13. NDL
12. Scott
11. MacVisser
10. Laidlaw
9. Blair
8. Talei or McInally
7. Rennie
6. Denton
5. Gilchrist
4. Cox or Lozada?
3. Cross
2. Ford
1. Chunk

Should've checked the offy site first!

Team to face RM92:

15 Chris Paterson

14 Lee Jones
13 Nick De Luca
12 Matt Scott
11 Tim Visser

10 Greig Laidlaw CAPTAIN
9 Mike Blair

1 Allan Jacobsen
2 Ross Ford
3 Geoff Cross
4 Grant Gilchrist
5 Sean Cox
6 David Denton
7 Ross Rennie
8 Netani Talei

Substitutes
16 Alun Walker
17 Kyle Traynor
18 Jack Gilding
19 Esteban Lozada
20 Roddy Grant
21 Phil Godman
22 Tom Brown
23 Jim Thompson

Not available through injury: James King (groin), Steven Lawrie (knee), Steven Turnbull (ankle), Ben Cairns (knee)

The only black spot is the burk (good)Godman on the bench

Nothing wrong with the starting XV. I might have started Lozada ahead of Cox but I don't think it makes much difference.

Two things I dislike about the bench. Godman ahead of Leonard, and Grant ahead of McInally. I can understand why the Grant selection has been made, but for me McInally is the better impact player and would cover two positions rather than one (Rennie vs Grant should have been a straight choice).

But pretty happy with the side. Let's hope Berbezier does us a favour with his selections.

Happy to see Cox starting - much more aggressive and physical than Lozada and Lozada gets in too many fights (although Cox isn't fair behind)

Glad to see Talei starting as he was our only good player last week - and Rambo looked like a lost wee boy against Ferris.

Think this game will be too much for us and would gladly take a losing/try BP

Racing team (or at least 24 players squad) :

forwards: Arganese, Battut, Ben Arous, Bianchin, Chabal, Le Roux, Leo'o, Lo Cicero, Nallet, Orlandi, Sa, Van der Merwe, Vaquin.
backs: Chavancy, Descons, Estebanez, Hernandez, Imhoff, Lorée, Matavesi, Saubade, Steyn, Vakatawa, Wisniewski.

Henrandez, Chabal and Estebanez are back. no Bobo , otherwise looks like 1st choices to me so no favours from berbizier

edit :
and Fran Steyn back as well apparently ! (been injured for so long, forgot about him)

Ooft that is a pretty impressive team.

Greatest victory ever for Edinburgh if we won?

Ouch

Good to see former Josh Matavesi getting some gametime with RM

Oh well - the bigger they are the harder they fall, as our rugby coach used to say to us at school right before we got annihilated......

and the fast they are, the easier more difficult it is to catch them! I love homilies

Bad news for Embra, RM92 are definitely taking this one seriously. Big heavy weight pack with some wonderfully skilled players behind. From today's Hootsman:

"Duo back to boost Racing Metro

RACING Metro 92 have restored Argentinian stand-off Juan Martin Hernandez and France No 8 Sebastien Chabal to their side for tonight’s eagerly-anticipated Heineken Cup return with Edinburgh in Paris.

Coach Pierre Berbizier has made nine changes to the side that drew with Perpignan in the Top 14 last week but, with him shuffling his side regularly in recent weeks, it is far from a second string.

In fact, bringing back Hernandez at stand-off and Chabal, and handing Springbok star Francois Steyn his first start after injury, brings an extra potency to the Racing line-up.

As they did in the astonishing Murrayfield match that ended 48-47 to the hosts, Racing have left out notable performers, including Sireli Bobo, the Fijian wing, and props Julien Brugnaut and Mikaele Tuugahala, preferring experienced Italian Andrea Lo Cicero and huge tighthead Juan Pablo Orlandi.

But there is no doubting Racing’s depth of quality and, even though their hopes of a Heineken Cup quarter-final place are gone, they have a strong desire to atone for their defeat back on their own patch. What they did not bargain for in the first meeting was a home team that had the belief and ability in attack to come back from a 24-point deficit and, when Racing tried to halt the charge in the last quarter, they were a man down, the legs were going and their lungs were on fire.

Coach Berbizier has demanded that his players do not make the same mistake, and instead dominate up front from the first minute in the ferocious way they do in the Top 14.

He also wants his players to defend better and put the game to bed with slick finishing by half-time.

But, seeking a first win in three games, he has a bench full of potent finishers, notably Jonathan Wisniewski and Henry Chavancy, to ensure Edinburgh will be made to fight all the way for a rare win on French soil."

From the Herald, interview with big Net:

"Interview: Netani Talei raring to go for Edinburgh against Racing Metro

by Kevin Ferrie, Senior Sports Writer.

Matches such as tonight's against Racing Metro and next weekend's against London Irish are what encouraged Netani Talei to take a chance on joining Edinburgh.

He knew the move would guarantee involvement in the Heineken Cup, which should be one of the great lures for Scotland's professional rugby clubs when heading into the transfer market.

That it has not so far been sufficient to draw in big-name signings has partly been down to spending power, but also to the lack of competitiveness that brought just one quarter-final appearance by a Scottish side in the tournament's 17-year history.


However, since he was pretty much an unknown 18 months ago Talei was prepared to take the risk. "This is big. I always wanted to play Heineken Cup in my professional career. I tried it last year and it is different. It is a big opportunity for the whole team at Edinburgh and myself as an individual," he said. "Because you play the best teams in the northern hemisphere the Heineken Cup is a different ball game altogether. You have to bring your 'A' game to every single game because one mistake you get hammered and they score tries off you. [Tonight] has to be one of the best rugby games of my career."

While he may have had a taste last season it has been more like the real thing second time around, and Talei reckons it was evident from the outset of the campaign that Edinburgh were going to be more competitive, albeit he knows the true hard work of dealing with being in contention starts now.

"There is a new style of rugby the coaches have and our pool was an open pool. We have done really well to get where we are. Friday is a physical game and we must grab the opportunity," he said. "It is a chance for us to make the quarter-finals, a chance for us to be with other European countries that have been at the top of the league, that have won Heineken Cup matches."

Talei has played Test rugby at the highest level, yet he believes that in competitive terms this will be the biggest challenge he has yet confronted. "I have been involved in bigger games but the pressure this Friday is something we have never experienced before at Edinburgh," he said. "I have played in the World Cup but that is different. Fiji did well in 2007 but I was mostly on the bench. In 2011 we did not have a good squad and it was a development stage for 2015.

"This is my biggest club game. This is my second season at Edinburgh and I want to make it something to remember.

"It is quite difficult because for the last three weeks I have been thinking about this game. I have been playing Pro12 games for the last three weeks trying to improve myself in every aspect to get me ready for this. At the moment, even just talking about Friday's game I am sweating because I just can't wait to play in it. I am not going to put pressure on myself but at the same time I am looking forward to Friday and hoping for a win."

The game, however, is not the only source of pressure. Talei was by no means the most reliable of squad members in his first season with the club. He is man enough to admit that having been brought in as an older head who could help young Scottish players learn, that has turned into a two-way process with the emergence of Stuart McInally, one of a batch of classy young Scots who are helping offer encouragement for the future. It has forced him to fight for his place.

"Stuart McInally was playing in front of me and been given a week off because he had started a couple of games and I came on the scene and thought 'This is my chance, I have to grab it,'. I am taking my chances at the moment and I have been doing what the coaches have asked of me. This week I have to keep pushing myself.

"That is helping me perform better and I am learning things from the young boys as well. I am 28, I am still learning things. I have a few caps for Fiji, I have played a couple of games, but these boys bring in new ideas and I take them on board. That can make me a better player as well.

"Stuart has a good rugby brain and puts himself in spaces where he gets the ball. I am different. I go for balls and if I don't get it I lose confidence. With ball in hand I am happy . . . Stuart McInally works on and off the ball. I have learned I have to work off the ball, rather than just on the ball. That's one good thing I've learned from him."

Whether he and the rest of the squad have learned enough to produce a result in France when they need it and, if they can do that, finish things off at home against London Irish, remains to be seen.

Should they win both, which would almost certainly take them into the Heineken Cup quarter-finals, this is a team that knows it can make history and Talei has no qualms about putting it in that perspective.

"This is one of the defining moments of Edinburgh rugby," he said. "Friday will be a big game. We have to bring everything to the table.""

Racing Metro 15 Juan Imhoff, 14 Virimi Vakatawa, 13 Frans Steyn, 12 Fabrice Estebanez, 11 Julien Saubade, 10 Juan Martin Hernandez, 9 Sebastien Descons, 8 Sebastien Chabal, 7 Antoine Batut, 6 John Leo'o, 5 Francois van der Merwe, 4 Lionel Nallet, 3 Juan Pablo Orlandi, 2 Gregory Arganese, 1 Andrea Lo Cicero.
Replacements: 16 Thomas Bianchin, 17 Eddy Ben Arous, 18 Benjamin Sa, 19 Bernard Le Roux, 20 Mathieu Loree, 21 Jonathan Wisniewski, 22 Remi Vaquiin, 23 Henry Chavancy.

Massive centre partnership there, big test for Matty Scott and NDL

I'm really worried we're going to see a French team with the right mindset tonight and get absolutely blown away - as opposed to the other French mentality we all know and love!

Good fighting talk from Talei though.

not that I expected an Easy ride but for all intents and purposes RM are out of this tournament. I wonder why they are bringing out all their bug guns for this one?

Edinburgh side does have the skill to beat this team. I think it will all come down to self beleif.

C'mon the Burgh!

I wonder if it's more of a PR exercise with their own fans tbh, Radge? Plenty of disgruntlement so far at their performance at home in Europe, and this will be their last chance to get the faithful onside before the big push on a top 6 place in the T14

Anyone watching?

7-0 Edinburgh (contentious blocking though), scrum in Racing's 22. Racing look a bit of a mess really.

Steyn scores for RM after about 10 phases in Edinburgh's half. Oops - bit of soft defence in the midfield. 7-7

Just me then 7-14 Edinburgh 29 minutes in... another epic like last time?

Was Talei btw

Hilarious knockonathon from RM92 occurring. Super squad plan backfiring ... if Edinburgh beats this squad away from home then the fans of RM will never watch a European match again I fear

But man Edinburgh's defence is appalling ... RM making at least 5 metres every phase (usually more) without really trying

Racing break through in the midfield again only to knock on the last pass ... Rennie disrupting a bit again, good play!

Passes so far - RM 100 E 39 tells the story. Lots of pick and driving from Edinburgh.