DESPITE being snubbed for the top job on a long-term basis, Duncan Hodge, the interim head coach at Edinburgh, has insisted the has no intention of walking away from the club that means so much to him

He had hoped his spell as the caretaker coach would be enough to persuade the powers behind the scenes at the Scottish Rugby Union to hand him the reins with enough time to make a real difference.

Those hopes, however, were dashed early this week when he was told that Richard Cockerill, the former director of rugby at Leicester, currently working with Toulon as a consultant, was being given the job from the start of next season.

Hodge admitted it had come as a surprise to him, even though it had been the subject of some gossip among the fans. "I am not a social media hound," he said. "That was the news that we were given over the weekend. Now, we have to get on with it and focus on the next game."

Hodge might have had reasonable hopes that he had done enough. The regimented, forward-orientated style of play favoured by Alan Solomons, who was sacked in late September, has gone and results have been respectable.

An overall record of won nine, lost seven may not set the heather alight but it was still reasonable – though five of those wins came in the European Challenge Cup and the four wins, six losses in the Guinness PRO12 makes less glittery reading.

With the side anchored in ninth spot in the table and that all-consuming hunt for a palce in the top six that would bring elite Champions Cup rugby next season increasingly forlorn, he must have realised decision time was approaching.

Even so, when he looked at that record to back his case but then learned that somebody was being brought in over his head, must have come a a blow? "Yes," he admitted. "It is something I would love to do and people know that. So yes I am disappointed but that is life; that is pro sport.

"In due course I will be speaking to the powers that be to sort out how things will work. I have had a brief conversation with Richard [Cockerill] on Tuesday night – he was just phoning to touch base, it was just a five minute phone call.

"He has been hugely successful down at Leicester and built up a good reputation. He is obviously an experienced head coach. Until you coach with someone, it is difficult to know exactly what they are like – we are all in that boat.

"I think it is a good move for Edinburgh and I am sure he will have a point to prove. He is an experienced man and he will know what he wants to achieve."

Which solves nothing about Hodge's own future. One thing that has been firmly ruled out, however, is failing to see out his contract, which has another year to run.

"I was always keen to stay at the club," he insisted. "I am thinking about my role until the end of this season. It all happened at the weekend but we have a massive game coming up.

"We have injuries and I has been national squad week so – I’ll be quite frank – I haven’t been able to think about next season."

He will have talks with Cockerill about his role at the club but at the moment reckons he has more immediate worries to keep him occupied, starting with tonight's Myreside clash with Cardiff Blues, who are two places and 13 points above them.

Since the visitors lose only one player to the Wales squad for BT Murrayfield, they pose a serious threat while Hodge is having to contend with another run of injuries after last week's defeat by Leinster.

With six on Scotland duty and 12 on the injured list, it is close to a case of simply picking everybody who is fit, with Glenn Bryce moving up to centre, while Jason Tovey, Rory Scholes and Blair Kinghorn all return to the starting back division.

"We have a job to do and the players have a lot of pride in what they do," Hodge insisted. "Next season will happen when it happens, but now we have games to play and we want to finish as high up the table as we can. I can’t think of any more motivation than that. As players and individuals they have to shoulder responsibility, but I don’t see issues.

"The players have been great this week. Obviously Friday through to Tuesday wasn’t fantastic, but they have taken ownership and want to move things forward. It is now about actions and getting the job done. It doesn’t matter about their state of mind over the last few days it only matters how their state of mind is come kick-off."

Edinburgh: B Kinghorn; D Hoyland, G Bryce, C Dean, R Scholes; J Tovey, S Hidalgo-Clyne, J Cosgrove, N Cochrane (C), M McCallum, F McKenzie, B Toolis, M Bradbury, J Ritchie, C Du Preez. Replacements: G Turner, D Appiah, K Bryce, G Gilchrist, L Carmichael, N Fowles, J Rasolea, M Allen.

Cardiff Blues: M Morgan; A Cuthbert, W Halaholo, S Shingler, T James; G Anscombe, L Williams; R Gill, K Dacey, A Peikrishvili, G Earle, J Hoeata, M Cook, J Sion Bennett, N Williams. Replacements: M Rees, C Domachowski, S Andrews, J Down, K Myhill, T Williams, G Smith, A Summerhill.

Referee: David Wilkinson (Ireland)