DISCUSSION POINTS

Cardiff Blues finished last season’s campaign at a canter by picking up their first silverware since 2010, lifting the Challenge Cup under departing coach Danny Wilson.

The Blues have appointed John Mulvihill, a little-known Australian as their eighth coach in seven years. He will be expected to continue the Blues’ evolution and, despite the bombshell retirement of Sam Warburton, he’s inherited a squad with a talented young core.

Tomos Williams, Seb Davies, Dillon Lewis, Jarrod Evans and Rhun Williams are all 23 or under and will mature alongside Gethin Jenkins, Nick Williams and Manu Samoa, who should add ballast in the back five. Their most important signing? It could prove to be Moldovan tighthead Dmitri Arhip.