Navidi returns to give Blues a boost ahead of must-win contest
CARDIFF Blues boss John Mulvihill has made nine changes for today’s mustwin clash with Saracens at the Arms Park (1pm).
The Blues led at the end of the first half in north London last Sunday but were taken apart by a second-half onslaught from the English champions and former European kings.
Mulvihill’s men are six points behind second-placed Glasgow Warriors and 10 adrift of leaders Saracens in Pool Three.
Defeat against one of the best teams in the Champions Cup will almost certainly end their already pretty slim hopes of progressing.
Blues will arguably have a stronger side on the pitch, with flanker Josh Navidi among a raft of players returning from injury,
The Wales international has been out of action since the away victory over Lyon in October.
New Zealander Nick Williams, who missed the trip to London due to personal reasons, is also back, but flanker Olly Robinson can feel hard done by following an eyecatching display.
Hooker Kristian Dacey and tight-head Scott Andrews come into the front-row, with Samoa star Rey Lee-Lo and New Zealander Willis Halaholo being fit to start in the centre.
Stalwart Dan Fish replaces Matthew Morgan despite the full-back scoring one of the tries of the season at Saracens.
Third-choice scrum-half Lewis Jones starts, with Tomos and Lloyd Williams ruled out through injury, while Garyn Smith is promoted from the bench to wing following the foot injury suffered by Jason Harries.
Promising youngster Dane Blacker has been recalled from sevens duties with Wales to be the scrum-half on the bench.
“It was an excellent first 40 minutes last week, but we had a few significant injuries towards the end of the half and by the end we were running on empty,” said Mulvihill.
“We need to learn from what we did well in the first half and what let us down in the second half and put in a complete 80-minute performance.
“We definitely have the belief, especially at home, that we can turn any team over.
“It’s a massive game as far as the Heineken Champions Cup is concerned, but it’s also for us going forward, because we’ve got three derbies coming up. We don’t want to limp into those, we want to bounce in and have some confidence.”
England lock George Kruis returns as one of four changes in the Saracens team, but Wales star Liam Williams is still missing with a hamstring injury.
Dan Fish; Blaine Scully, Rey Lee-Lo, Willis Halaholo, Garyn Smith; Gareth Anscombe, Lewis Jones; Rhys Gill, Kristian Dacey, Scott Andrews, Seb Davies, Josh Turnbull (capt), Samu Manoa, Josh Navidi, Nick Williams.
Kirby Myhill, Brad Thyer, Dillon Lewis, George Earle, Olly Robinson, Dane Blacker, Steven Shingler, Matthew Morgan.
A Goode; S Maitland, N Tompkins, B Barritt, A Lewington; O Farrell, B Spencer; M Vunipola, J George, V Koch, G Kruis, W Skelton, M Rhodes, S Burger, B Earl.
T Woolstencroft, R Barrington, J Figallo, D Day, N Isiekwe, C Clark, R Wigglesworth, A Lozowski.
Jerome Garces (France).
Blues: Reps: Saracens: Reps: Referee: