Cardiff Rugby may be getting back skipper Liam Belcher, Ben Thomas and Mason Grady from the Wales Six Nations squad for Friday night’s big clash with BKT United Rugby Championship title chasing Leinster, but the visitors will also have some returning talent.
Leinster head coach Leo Cullen confirmed this week that Ireland and British & Irish Lions centre Robbie Henshaw is fit to resume playing. So too is Ireland wing Jimmy O’Brien and French tight head specialist Rabah Slimani.
Add in Springbok giant second row RG Snyman and All Blacks midfield ace Rieko Ioane and it is easy to see that even though they will be missing their 19 Irish squad members, they will still be a handful on the night.
The boys in blue from Dublin are currently four points behind league leaders Ulster and four points ahead of leading Welsh region Cardiff, who are in fifth place. The top four teams get home draws in the quarter-final play-offs and Cardiff are currently tying on 36 points with Stormers and Ulster immediately above them having played one extra game.
It all makes Friday night’s game crucial for Belcher and his team as they fight to not only reach the play-offs, but possible bag a home draw in the last eight.
Tickets for Friday night under lights at the Arms Park for Cardiff v Leinster are HERE
The game comes a week before Wales face Ireland at the Aviva Stadium and is one of two URC clashes between Welsh and Irish sides this week. On Saturday night the Ospreys will take on Ulster at the Brewery Field.
The Ospreys are hovering just below the cut off point for the play-offs at present in ninth place, although they have the same number of points as the team just above them, the Bulls.
Steve Tandy has released Harri Deaves, Gareth Thomas, Owen Watkin and Reuben Morgan-Williams back to the Ospreys for the weekend. It will be the third game in a row for Ulster against Welsh opposition having beaten Cardiff 21-14 at the end of last month and gone down to a last gasp 27-22 defeat at Parc y Scarlets.
Tickets for Saturday night at Brewery Field, Bridgend for Ospreys v Ulster are HERE