Wales’ Capital Region claimed a bonus-point victory over Bristol last weekend and return to home comforts at BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park on Friday night.
Danny Wilson has made nine changes for the encounter with Alex Cuthbert and Steve Shingler the only remaining players in a reshuffled back-line.
Cory Allen, Garyn Smith, Blaine Scully and
Lloyd Williams all come in.
Up front there is an all new front-row,
James Down comes into the second-row and
Macauley Cook, Ellis Jenkins and
Josh Turnbull form a new-look back-row.
Pau faced Bath in Round One, narrowly missing out on victory on home soil. The two teams have never faced each other in European action.
Match facts
- The clubs are meeting for the first time in European competition.
- Pau have lost back-to-back Challenge Cup games in Wales, managing just nine points in those two fixtures.
- The Blues have won five of their previous six home matches in the competition (L1).
- The 2010 winners have won back to back games in the competition but haven’t won three on the bounce in the Challenge Cup since their first six games in the competition.
- Pau have lost 11 of 13 games since reaching the final in 2005, losing the last eight in a row.
Team comparison (Challenge Cup record)
| |
Cardiff Blues |
Pau |
| Played |
17 |
51 |
| Wins |
12 |
29 |
| Draws |
0 |
0 |
| Losses |
5 |
22 |
| Total Points For |
633 |
1314 |
| Total Points Against |
327 |
1048 |
| Total Tries For |
85 |
158 |
| Total Tries Against |
33 |
101 |
What they said
Head coach Danny Wilson said: “When you look at the names in the squad, even if they rest 15 players, the next 15 are still pretty strong.
“We’re expecting another physical encounter, as you do with all French teams, and we’re looking forward to the game on Friday night.
“We did pick-up a couple of knocks against Bristol, there are one or two we’ve had to look after this weekend.
“This is a European competition and it’s important we take it seriously. Our priority has to be the league because that’s where we’ll get qualification into the Champions Cup.
“But our two priorities are the league and the European competition, so we want to field good sides in both.”
Referee: JP Doyle (England), Assistant ref: Wayne Barnes (England), Assistant ref: Gareth Copsey (England), Citing Commissioner: Gordon Black (Ireland)
Cardiff Blues: Dan Fish; Alex Cuthbert, Cory Allen, Garyn Smith, Blaine Scully; Steven Shingler, Lloyd Williams; Gethin Jenkins (c), Kirby Myhill, Tau Filise, Jarrad Hoeata, James Down, Macauley Cook, Ellis Jenkins, Josh Turnbull
Replacements: Matthew Rees, Rhys Gill, Scott Andrews, Seb Davies, Kristian Dacey, Tomos Williams, Jarrod Evans, Matthew Morgan
Pau: Charly Malie; Louis Dupichot, Santiago Fernandez, Pierre Dupouy, Bastien Pourailly; Brandon Fajardo, Thibault Daubagna; Jérémy Hurou, Quentin Lespiaucq Brettes, Sylvain Charlet, Masalosalo Tutaia, Daniel Ramsay (c), Pierrick Gunther, Sean Dougall, Ben Mowen
Replacements: Lucas Rey, Geoffrey Moise, Joel Sclavi, Fabrice Metz, Giovanni Habel Kuffner, Thierry Lacrampe, Romain Buros, Marvin Lestremeau