Richard Cockerill believes Edinburgh can beat Glasgow in the 1872 Cup
Richard Cockerill believes his Edinburgh side can topple Glasgow as the best team in Scotland as the two prepare for an 1872 Cup decider this weekend.
Although they have enjoyed success in the 1872 Cup in recent years, Edinburgh have historically played second fiddle to Scotland's other major team, Glasgow.
With the Warriors often competing at the top of the Guinness PRO14, Edinburgh have been at the other end at the table but this year find themselves fighting it out for a place in the top three of Conference B in Cockerill's first campaign in charge, as well as the cup, which they have won twice in the previous three campaigns.
Former Leicester head coach Cockerill is setting his sights high having last week signed a new three-year contract in the capital and believes his side are showing that they can go past their rivals.
"We are chasing them hard," he said. "They have been living in a relatively comfortable way because Edinburgh have been so poor over the years, but we are improving and performing and a team that wants to supersede them and be the number one team in Scotland."
He added: "We know how well we can play and we know we can beat Glasgow.
"We were the first team to beat them this year and historically have a good record against them. We will go full out, we are here to win the game on Saturday.
"Glasgow have been the privileged elder brother and we are starting to address that and we want to be competing and overtaking Glasgow in the next 12 months or so."
On the rivalry, he continued: "We've not been good enough to make it edgy enough, the reality is they've always been the better side in recent history.
"What we have now is a proper rivalry where we are good enough to beat them and rattle them and really compete.
"It's a proper rivalry because we're in the competition to beat these sides, because we are good enough and have had a good season."
Although the fate of the cup will be decided at BT Murrayfield on Saturday, the bigger picture for Edinburgh sees them just one point away from qualifying for the end-of-season play-offs and bringing Champions Cup fixtures to the club next season, and that is not lost on Cockerill.
"We need at least one point out of the game and we want to get one over on Glasgow," he said.
"We have been the poor relations for a little while and I think the balance is being redressed slowly, and they are under pressure for their supposed top spot in Scotland."
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