The Albany Gazette - Cockerill confident England will match Scots' passion

Scotland are always keen to get the better of England in a fixture dating back to 1871.

The desire will be even more potent given the latest chapter of the rivalry comes on the opening weekend of the Six Nations.

But Cockerill, who lives in Edinburgh having previously been in charge of the Scottish capital club, said the hosts would have plenty of emotional fuel themselves as they try to beat Scotland for the first time since 2020.

"I can assure you that, tomorrow, we will have enough passion to match the Scots' passion. Then it will be down to who plays the best rugby," Cockerill told reporters on Friday.

Cockerill, capped 27 times by England, added: "When I was a player, it was the rivalry and realising how competitive the Scots are against the English. I still live in Edinburgh so I see that every day. It's a huge game.

"We know it means a lot to Scotland and it means a hell of a lot to us as an England team. The rivalry is going to be keen."

That competition was brought home to Cockerill when he lost a bet and had to wear a Scotland hat following the Dark Blues' 2018 win over England at Murrayfield.

Asked if that had been a painful experience, Cockerill replied: "Yes, very! It was all in good humour."

- 'Scrum hasn't been good enough' -

Cockerill is the last surviving member of Eddie Jones' staff still involved in an England backroom set-up now led by new head coach Steve Borthwick.

Jones was sacked after a November campaign that capped England's worst year since 2008, with Cockerill clear on where the team had to get better.

"Our scrum hasn't been good enough and that's something we need to improve," he said.

"Our set-piece parts have to be a lot better if we're going to compete at this level and win games at this level."

Veteran prop Dan Cole, 35 will be on England's bench on Saturday after being recalled to the Test set-up for the first time since the 2019 World Cup.

Cole, asked why he had been recalled, jokingly replied: "Probably my goal-kicking, charm, good looks."

But on a serious note, the 95-times capped Cole added: "I think England want to play a certain way with Steve -- set-piece and I think he thinks I've something to offer in that part of the game."

(T.Burkhard--BBZ)