Cardiff Blues v Scarlets

The battle for Guinness PRO14 supremacy roars back into view on Friday night with a series of high-octane clashes on the menu – including a mouth-watering showdown between Cardiff Blues and the Scarlets.

In an all-Welsh encounter, two teams battling gamely to reach the Guinness PRO14 Final Series go head-to-head, with the Blues and the Scarlets attempting to give themselves a shot in the arm in Conference A and Conference B respectively.

A number of players that featured in Wales’ Guinness Six Nations Grand Slam triumph also start, meaning there will be no shortage of quality on show at Cardiff Arms Park.

What’s at stake?

Both teams are looking to keep their hopes of reaching the Guinness PRO14 Final Series in fine fettle whilst simultaneously chucking a spanner in the works of the other.

The Blues are currently fourth in Conference A, level on points with third-placed Connacht, while the Scarlets are fourth in Conference B but have four points to make up on Ulster in third.

With a fierce battle raging for spots in the end-of-season shake-up and the end of the regular campaign fast-approaching, the margin for error is growing ever-narrower.

Team news (Cardiff Blues)

After starring for Wales in recent weeks, Josh Navidi and Gareth Anscombe come straight back into the fray for the Blues – the latter at full-back and the former in the back row.

Fellow Welsh internationals Seb Davies, Josh Turnbull, Tomos Williams and Jarrod Evans are also included in head coach John Mulvihill’s matchday 23.

Williams starts at scrum-half, with Evans deployed at fly-half while Turnbull handed the No.4 shirt.

Team news (Scarlets)

Flanker James Davies returns to the fold for the Scarlets having suffered a foot injury in his side’s last clash with the Blues in November, which also ruled him out of the Guinness Six Nations.

Davies is handed the No.7 shirt while Leigh Halfpenny, Rhys Patchell, Wyn Jones and Samson Lee are all named in the starting XV, with Rob Evans, Gareth Davies, Ken Owens and Steff Evans named on the bench.

Lock Steve Cummins also returns but Scarlets are missing the injured Ryan Elias, with Marc Jones in at hooker.

Talking points

Cardiff Blues head coach John Mulvihill said: “It’s great to be able to include all of our Wales internationals following a hugely successful Six Nations.

“They will have no problem getting themselves up for a Welsh derby and we are all hugely motivated for this crucial fixture.

“The Scarlets, traditionally, are a team who really like to move the ball and will test us across the park, so we will have to be at our defensive best to negate their attacking threats.

“They have proven in the past they are a champion team and they have their own top-three aspirations, so we know they will be desperate to win this contest.”

Scarlets head coach Wanye Pivac said: “It stacks up for a massive derby.

“The team that gets success goes a long way towards getting a place in the play-offs in either conference, so there is a lot to play for and it’s interesting with both squads welcoming back players from the Six Nations. It is going to be a tight affair.

“We looked at the last couple of games as ‘must-win’ because the position we found ourselves in.

“We are seeing this game as one of two Test matches – Blues and Edinburgh – because all three teams are in the fight for the play-offs.”

Key battle – Gareth Anscombe v Leigh Halfpenny

Two top-class Welsh full-backs go to head-to-head in Cardiff and whoever hits the ground running for their respective team may just heavily impact which way the pendulum swings on Friday.

While the Blues’ Anscombe featured heavily for Wales in the Guinness Six Nations at fly-half, ending up as the Championship’s second-highest points-scorer, injury kept Leigh Halfpenny from featuring.

With the latter fit to start for Scarlets, can his freshness trump Anscombe’s momentum?

Key fact

The Scarlets’ only away victory this season in any tournament was a 41-34 win over the Isuzu Southern Kings in Port Elizabeth back in October.

Did you know?

The Blues ended the Scarlets’ 26-match unbeaten run at Parc y Scarlets in the Championship in Round 12 and are aiming to achieve a season’s double over the west Walians for the first time since 2015-16.

Cardiff Blues: Gareth Anscombe, Owen Lane, Ray Lee-Lo, Willis Halaholo, Aled Summerhill, Jarrod Evans, Tomos Williams, Rhys Gill, Kristian Dacey ©, Dimitri Arhip, Josh Turnbull, Rory Thornton, Josh Navidi, Olly Robinson, Nick Williams

Replacements: Ethan Lewis, Rhys Carre, Dillon Lewis, Seb Davies, Shane Lewis-Hughes, Lloyd Williams, Harri Millard, Matthew Morgan

Scarlets: Leigh Halfpenny, Johnny McNicholl, Kieron Fonotia ©, Paul Asquith, Ioan Nicholas, Rhys Patchell, Kieran Hardy, Wyn Jones, Marc Jones, Samson Lee, Lewis Rawlins, Steven Cummins, Josh Macleod, James Davies

Replacements: Ken Owens, Rob Evans, Werner Kruger, Josh Helps, Will Boyde, Gareth Davies, Dan Jones, Steff Evans

TV: At Cardiff Arms Park, 19.35pm. Live on Premier Sports and Eir Sport

Referee: John Lacey (IRFU)

Assistant Referees: Frank Murphy, Sean Gallagher (both IRFU)TMO: Simon McDowell (IRFU)