Mackenzie Martin admits it’s a dream come true to play for Cardiff in the Investec Champions Cup and he is relishing the prospect of taking on Bath at the Arms Park.
The number eight made his European debut against five-time champions Toulouse on Saturday and was a bright spark in a spirited performance from the young Blue and Blacks.
In just his third professional appearance, the 20-year-old carried into the heart of the French champions and was rewarded with his first try.
And the Ely man is still pinching himself in disbelief as he settles into first team rugby.
He said: “It’s amazing. It’s a dream come true. I’ve made two starts on the bounce, three appearances and it’s all come pretty quickly.
“Playing Toulouse was a great experience individually and as a team. We didn’t come away with a result but it was still a good experience
“I’ve actually never had nothing like that, so that was amazing. That was a big motivator walking in, seeing all the crowd buzzing. That got me in my feelings, that got me up for it.
“We threw the ball about, tried playing, but obviously it wasn’t our day, but it was a good experience in my first European game.
“To get a try was great. Its third time lucky. I nearly scored against Stormers, nearly scored against Scarlets and my little brother actually told me, I bet you score in this game and luckily I did.
“I like to carry the ball, I’ll carry the ball against anyone and if I run into brick walls, I run into brick walls. If there’s gaps I try to run through. I just try to implement it in my game as much as I can.”
There were also some familiar faces in the Stade Ernest Wallon crowd and Martin was full of appreciation for the Cardiff support
He added: “Seeing a Caerau Ely flag in the crowd was mental. Out here in Toulouse. It’s pretty crazy. I just thanked them for coming out here supporting the boys, supporting us, all the fans. It’s amazing they’ve made the trip, we wouldn’t have our jobs without them,
“Next week now, it’s a massive occasion. You can’t beat being at home. Bath are playing some excellent rugby at the moment, in the Prem. Hopefully we’ll chuck the ball about, get into them and just get stuck in.”