Cardiff missing eight Welsh internationals for Connacht clash

Cardiff Blues will have to paddle their canoe without eight Wales internationals away to Connacht at The Sportsground on Friday (6.30pm).

"Connacht are always a difficult team to play away, as everyone knows, and something I've been banging the drum about all week is our mental toughness. It's a game we know we have to win and we should win," said Cardiff coach Dai Young.

"The fact that we lose our internationals during the Six Nations and they don't is certainly a leveller, as they play together and train together week in week out.

"They pick up a lot of points during the international period but we can't offer that as an excuse. You win or lose tournaments with your squads, not your teams, and this match will be a test of our squad."

CARDIFF BLUES (v Connacht): Ben Blair; Richard Mustoe, Jamie Robinson, Ceri Sweeney, Tom James; Nicky Robinson, Jason Spice; Rhys Gill, Rhys Thomas, Gary Powell, Deiniol Jones, Scott Morgan, Maama Molitika, Robin Sowden-Taylor, Xavier Rush.