Racing 92 v Edinburgh: Cockerill takes inspiration from Scotland win in France

Richard Cockerill hopes the recent experience of Paris success will inspire his Edinburgh team when they face Racing 92.

Nine Edinburgh players featured in Scotland's Six Nations win against France last Friday - the Scots' first Paris win in the tournament since 1999.

Racing were beaten by Exeter Chiefs in last season's final.

"It can only help, can't it? That experience and that belief has got to help," said Cockerill.

"As a club, we've enjoyed playing against the French sides, we've risen to that challenge in the last couple of years. We're a a good enough team to go there and win."

• Edinburgh's Watson voted player of Six Nations

• Russell suspended for three weeks

Scotland fly-half Finn Russell was red-carded in France and will not feature for Racing as he serves a three-week ban.

"It definitely helps us," Cockerill told BBC Scotland. "He's a world-class player and he's not playing.

"We're massive underdogs. We have to be right on top of our game. If we are, we will be in the mix to win the game. If we are sloppy and we don't front up physically, we'll have a tough afternoon.

"They're last year's finalists, they're in the top four of the Top14. They've got lots of household names but we can push those big teams.

"We can do it because we've done it and we've beaten them and we've got through out of pool stages beating big teams in Montpellier and Toulon.

"I think we've picked an ambitious team to go out there and play and take the game to Racing."

Racing 92: Beale, Thomas, Vakatawa, Chavancy, Dupichot, Gibert, Machenaud; Ben Arous, Chat, Gomes Sa, Le Roux, Ryan, Diallo, Chouzenoux, Joseph.

Replacements: Baubigny, Gogichashvili, Oz, Bird, Palu, Iribaren, Trinh-Duc, Zebo.

Edinburgh: Hoyland, Graham, Johnstone, Taylor, Van der Merwe, Kinghorn, Pyrgos; Schoeman, Cherry, Nel, Bradbury, Gilchrist, Ritchie, Watson, Mata.

Replacements: Willemse, Venter, Berghan, Kunavula, Crosbie, Shiel, Van der Walt, Bennett.