LAST SEASON: Heineken Cup Pool stage. Sixth in Celtic League
Cardiff Blues will hope to rid themselves of the ‘under-achievers’ tag after another indifferent season that saw them finish behind all the Welsh regions in the Celtic League.
Yet the Blues possess arguably one of the most exciting back lines in Europe and their total of 73 tries was head and shoulders above any other team in the Celtic league.
And with several notable additions in the shape of Freddie Tuilagi (Leicester) and Tristan Davies (Leeds) to soften the blow of losing Iestyn Harris, it promises to be another entertaining campaign at the Arms Park.
However their Achilles heal has often been regarded as the pack and that is where coach Dai Young, a former British Lion prop, has spent most of his time rebuilding during another hectic summer at Cardiff.
The Blues have inherited an almost entire set of forwards from the Celtic Warriors with props Gethin Jenkins and Martin Jones, Wales locks Deiniol Jones and Robert Sidoli and back-row pair Nathan Budgett and Mark Lewis all joining. American captain Kort Schubert will also add some firepower.
Meanwhile Lee Thomas, Shaun James and Matthew Nuthall have also made their way from the Warriors to Cardiff.
Notable departures as well as Harris are former Wales lock Andy Moore, who has been forced to retire though injury and his namesake at scrum-half, who represented Cardiff in the inaugural Heineken Cup final is also retiring, brining down the curtain on a fine career.
In: Gethin Jenkins, Deiniol Jones, Lee Thomas, Robert Sidoli, Mark Lewis, Shaun James, Matthew Nutthall, Nathan Budgett (all Warriors), Tristan Davies (Leeds), Freddie Tuilagi (Leicester).
Out: Pieter Muller (player-coach, Doncaster), Jim Brownrigg (Bristol), Matt Allen (Bedford), Andrew Moore (scrum-half, retiring), Andy Moore (lock, retiring), Iestyn Harris (Bradford Bulls RFLC), Darren Crompton (Bristol), Heino Senekal (SWD Eagles), Martyn Madden (Caerphilly RFC), Donovan van Vuuren (Doncaster).
