Danny Wilson’s Cardiff Blues finished last year’s Guinness PRO12 with a flourish and he has named 14 internationals in the side which will take on Edinburgh Rugby on Saturday. Ellis Jenkins skippers the side which welcomes Alan Solomons’ men to the BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park after making his Wales debut in New Zealand this summer. The Blues started slowly last year, losing seven of their first eight Guinness PRO12 encounters, but with a team including Tom James, new No.8 Nick Williams and Cory Allen, they are confident of downing Edinburgh. “It will be a tough first game but because it’s at home and with the form we had last year hopefully we will start with a bang,” Wilson said. “We won 80 per cent of our home games last year. We will be looking to start this season with a good performance which will also hopefully lead to a win. “But Edinburgh have recruited well, they have a very big pack of forwards and are one of the sides in this league that play a set-piece dominant style of rugby. “Our international players have only been back for a short period of time so there’s a responsibility to make sure they are not just going from game to a break and back into a game.We’ve tried to make sure every player has had a window of pre-season.” Gethin Jenkins, Gareth Anscombe and Matthew Morgan are primed to make an impact from the bench against a strong Edinburgh side. Scotland outside-half Duncan Weir starts his first Guinness PRO12 game for the Capital side after a summer move from rivals Glasgow Warriors. Talismanic skipper Grant Gilchrist returns to the side, while Scottish hooker Ross Ford – who missed out on Scotland’s Test series with Japan with a calf strain – starts his 149th game for the club. Former Ulster back Rory Scholes starts on the wing, with young back-rower Jamie Ritchie picked at blindside flanker. Solomons said: “The pre season is now behind us and we are all looking forward to the start of the competition. “Cardiff away is a tough opening fixture and we know that we will have to be at our best on Saturday.” At BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park, 7.35pm. Live on S4C/BBC Alba Referee: John Lacey (IRFU, 54th competition game) Assistant Referees: Stuart Gaffikin (IRFU), Rhys Thomas (WRU) Citing Commissioner: Jeff Mark (WRU) TMO: Simon McDowell (IRFU)
