The Wales prop starts for the first time this season against Edinburgh on Sunday as the Blues look to bounce back from consecutive defeats to Zebre and Leinster.
The 32-year-old loosehead has now recovered from the calf injury which forced to fly home from Australia last summer while on duty with the British & Irish Lions.
And in what is a fairly young squad at Cardiff Arms Park, Jenkins and fellow front row forward Matthew Rees provide what is some much needed know-how in the pack. Now, with Heineken Cup fixtures on the horizon, Jenkins is hoping he can help get the Blues back to winning ways.
“One thing I’ve realised from being away last year is the difference in the age category in the squad,” said Jenkins.
“In Toulon, there were a lot of older players who had been around and knew what they were doing. Here, there are a lot of boys who perhaps haven’t been at this level for that long or who are still learning.
“Sometimes you have to rant and rave out on the field and sometimes you have to get things organised in the video room. When I was here before I started to take responsibility in that area and I know Matthew has worked hard to move in that direction since he’s come in.
“Knowledge of the game is a big thing and with our full strength side and people coming back in, we might be able to improve our performances.”
After returning to the Blues from Toulon for the start of this season, Jenkins admits it’s been difficult watching from the sidelines.
“I would have liked to have started the season with a bang, it’s been hard seeing some of the results,” he said.
“Everything has been looked at to get me back on the field and in as best shape as I can be so nothing happens for a while.
“We’re not happy with the way the season’s started. Three out of four losses isn’t really acceptable for us. It’s up to the team and the coaches to put that right. We had a tough game last weekend and the Zebre game was difficult for everyone involved.
“But it’s a case of backs to the wall and we need to pull out a performance and keep building on that every week.”
Jenkins returns in a Blues side which is arguably at full strength. Leigh Halfpenny, Alex Cuthbert, Bradley Davies and Sam Warburton all start. In the back line, young guns Owen Williams and Cory Allen team up at centre for the first time. It’s an exciting selection, with former Wales Sevens man Allen set for his first regional start.
Looking ahead to today’s clash with Edinburgh, Jenkins added: “We had that first game against Glasgow where I thought we would get the result but we haven’t built on it.
“It’s about staying in the game for 80 minutes and imposing ourselves. We’ve talked about this behind closed doors and we need to train well enough to replicate that on the field.
“It’s nice to be on the field training after so much time in the gym. There are a lot of boys here who I’ve known previously or from playing with Wales so I’ve fitted back in quite well. It doesn’t feel like I’ve been away for that long and I’m looking forward to proving myself on the field.”
