Head Coach Danny Wilson has revealed he will look to get his strongest combinations on the field against Dragons on Saturday - as the kick-off for the new Guinness PRO12 season draws ever closer.
Cardiff Blues face a pre-season clash at BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park on Saturday (kick-off 12.30pm) as the team welcomes local rivals Newport Gwent Dragons.
Wilson’s men were buoyed by an impressive 31-26 win over Bristol Rugby last week to start preparations for the league opener with Zebre on September 6.
However, the Blues boss admits the team will need to step it up this weekend as they look ahead to the visit of the Italians.
“In the game with Bristol there were many changes and combinations so it can be hard to judge. We played a 17-year-old (Owen Lane) on the wing for most of that game and had a lot of youngsters and changes out there,” he said.
“We were very mixed at Ashton Gate, in both halves, and the changes we made were a mixture of youth and experience.
“We now need to build towards getting our first selection in the Dragons game so we can see it before we play Zebre.
“At some part in the game on Saturday we’ve got to get our best combinations out on the field and give them time,” he added.
“We are still waiting on some injuries that might not be back until the week of the first league game. But we will put the relevant combinations together and look to build towards Zebre now.”
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