With Jim Botham ruled out until November after shoulder surgery, and British & Irish Lions flanker Josh Navidi not set to return to action for a few weeks, there should be plenty of minutes available for the two returning stars after battling back form their own injury problems.
Jenkins managed to play a few games at the end of last season after overcoming knee reconstruction and a number of operations. Lewis-Hughes, one of the breakthrough stars of the last 18 months, hasn’t played since damaging his shoulder against Munster in March.
The Cardiff back row, with Josh Turnbull, Olly Robinson and Will Boyde also in the equation, is one of the toughest to get into and director of rugby Dai Young is just happy to have two of his biggest assets back fit and firing.
“Ellis has been up the front in the fitness tests and sessions and he has done as much as he can to get ready for the season. Now it is just about getting back into playing,” said Young.
“He showed in the first two games that he played after a near two-year break last season that he has still got the same quality about him. His problem was putting a string of games together after coming back from such a lengthy injury.
“We’re hoping that his positive pre-season will be the springboard for him to push to get back into the team on a regular basis. He just wants to put his head down and play.
“There will be a lot of white noise around him suggesting he might go straight back into the Welsh set-up. That kind of talk and pressure won’t faze him, but hopefully people won’t put too much pressure on him and will allow him to just work his way back.
“He’s got to get into the Cardiff team first and then he can take it from there. Everyone told me when I came back here that the back row was our strongest position and that is certainly the case.”
After Harlequins this weekend Cardiff will host Bath next Friday before opening their United Rugby Championship campaign at home against Connacht on Friday, 24 September.
“I’ve been really impressed with the way the players have returned from their summer break. They came back in great shape and that allowed us to do a bit more work with them early on,” added Young.
“I want to see improvement across the board this season. We haven’t finished higher than seventh in the last 10 years, which isn’t good enough.
“We know it is going to be tougher this season with the four South African sides coming into the competition, but we have to keep raising our standards to try to reach our full potential.
