Richard Cockerill would not be drawn into admitting that he likes the way his side matches up against their Scottish rivals yesterday.

However, having proclaimed his determination to change Scottish attitudes in this part of the world and get his players both to expect to win and be comfortable with saying so publicly, you could tell that he rather relishes the tried and tested Caledonian tradition of playing down his side’s chances as they begin the defence of the 1872 Challenge Cup.

“We’re definitely underdogs,” Edinburgh’s head coach insisted.

“Their league form has been outstanding, they make the most linebreaks, they’re scoring over four tries a game on average, so they’re a very good side, aren’t they, but we have a certain way of playing, we control territory and we like to put teams under pressure. When they have the ball, we’ve got to put them under pressure this weekend, if we don’t let them play free rein, they’ll hurt us.”

That is what prevailed last season, Edinburgh over-turning the odds in remarkable fashion in the opener after tighthead prop Simon Berghan was red carded early on with his side already a converted try behind, the reminder prompting Cockerill to joke that they played better without the internationalist, then doing so again in the end-of-season decider at the national stadium.

His men were by no means the only ones to close down free-scoring Glasgow last season and while this weekend’s visitors seem to have made significant strides in seeking to address their long-standing failings, there was evidence as recently as last weekend when a Lyon side that had nothing to lose denied them a bonus point at Scotstoun, that they can struggle to impose themselves on robust opponents and Cockerill suggested that they still have questions to answer in that regard.

“It’s two very differing styles, because where we are developing our team is not as far along the same route as them, but we feel we have a strong set-piece and we’re a very combative team, we feel if we get our game right we compete with anybody,” he said.

“I’m not sure we’re a team that’s set up to run away with games, but we’re certainly a team that can stay in the battle, stay in games and know how to win. It’s an interesting contrast, they’ll want to come and play how they play, which is pretty free-flowing, but also they’ll want to prove a point around their physicality and forward pack as well. We had a good season last year, our European form has been good, it sets us up for a great battle.”

That remains as true as it is to say that they are rarely matches that are particularly pleasing on the eye which generally favours his team’s more prosaic style.

“The games we played against them last year were all very tight affairs, even the one at Scotstoun we lost 17-0 in the end but it was tight as,” said Cockerill. “We’ve got to replicate that. They’re probably playing even better than they did last year to be fair and from a league point of view we’re a little bit behind where we were last year.”

What distinguishes the two teams is the depth Glasgow have managed to build over the years in which they have been better resourced, allowing them to maintain standards even when without leading players, but the respective strength of the two first choice teams is closing, as perhaps best reflected in this season’s Champions Cup in which both have won three of their four matches and are well placed to reach the quarter-finals.

While, then, Glasgow counterpart Dave Rennie has indicated that he will manage his squad through the two derbies, Cockerill looks set to field very similar line-ups in both matches.

“Whoever’s fit, we’ll be picking our best team,” he said.

Last season’s club captain Fraser McKenzie has regained fitness after a lengthy spell on the sidelines to be available, but his best chance of involvement is on the bench, however Scotland flanker Jamie Ritchie could well feature after missing last weekend’s match due to injury.

Cockerill meanwhile indicated that John Barclay, who captained Scotland through this year’s Six Nations Championship, is unlikely to be fit in time for the start of the 2019 version, describing his return date as “likely to be the end of January, early February at this moment in time.”