The Arms Park club will look to keep their play-off bid going when they take on the Bulls on Friday evening
Taulupe Faletau of Cardiff Rugby is tackled by Ryan Woodman of Dragons(Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency)
Cardiff are set to welcome back Wales legend Taulupe Faletau from injury as they take on the Bulls in Pretoria on Friday evening.
The Arms Park club are in a strong position to make the play-offs, sitting in fifth place with six matches of the United Rugby Championship season left to play. A victory over Leinster last time out has significantly boosted their hopes – even raising the possibility of a top-four finish and a home quarter-final.
Coach Corniel van Zyl has named an unchanged starting XV to the side that ended Leinster’s 11-match winning run earlier this month.
But, as they start their URC run-in with a tricky trip to South Africa, he has also been boosted by the return of some Wales stars.
Wales squad members Mason Grady, Ben Thomas and Liam Belcher all start at Loftus Versfeld, while Sam Wainwright and James Botham – the latter one of the standout players in the Six Nations for Wales – are named on the bench.
Faletau is also named as a replacement, making his return from the calf injury that ruled him out of the Six Nations.
It’s been another injury-hit campaign for the talismanic No. 8, having played just five times this season – with his last appearance being on January 1.
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“We are really looking forward to Friday and what will undoubtedly be a big challenge at Loftus,” said van Zyl.
“The Bulls are a quality team, who are really physical and really dangerous, and they will be smarting following last week’s loss.
“So we are expecting to see the very best of the Bulls on Friday but we have prepared well.
“We will fight for each other and the jersey, trying to put as much of our game on the pitch as possible, and see where that takes us.
“The table looks good at the moment but a lot can change in this competition. We are just focusing on one game at a time, and taking what we can from each opportunity.”
Cardiff: Cam Winnett; Mason Grady, Harri Millard, Ben Thomas, Jacob Beetham; Callum Sheedy, Aled Davies; Rhys Barratt, Liam Belcher (capt), Javan Sebastian, Josh McNally, George Nott, Alun Lawrence, Dan Thomas, Taine Basham.
Replacements: Daf Hughes, Danny Southworth, Sam Wainwright, Rory Thornton, James Botham, Taulupe Faletau, Ellis Bevan, Ioan Lloyd.
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