Head coach Matt Sherratt is looking forward to the return of the BKT United Rugby Championship and playing in front of another packed Cardiff Arms Park when the Blue and Blacks face Connacht on Saturday.
After a packed opening to their campaign, Cardiff haven’t featured for four weeks due to the Guinness Six Nations and although it was a welcome break for his squad, Sherratt is excited to get started with the second half of the season.
“It was actually nice this week and If I'm honest we were thankful of the break after a 13 week spell,” said Sherratt.
“The start of the season, we actually spoke about it this week, it was almost like a half marathon, so it was 13 games on the bounce, pretty much week to week.
“The last is almost like a series of sprints, so we've got obviously Connacht and then Leinster, then I think there's two fallow weeks before another two games, so it's quite a strange end to the season really.
“I don't think we play more than two games on the trot now until the first of July, so this week having a week of actual prep where we can smell a game at the end of it has been brilliant and you can always tell the difference.
“Although you obviously stay professional and you train well during the fallow weeks, having some tangible at the end of the week is massive.
“We're looking forward to the game and it's our Club Day as well this week so I think we've given a lot of tickets to local clubs and schools, so I'm hoping there'll be a good crowd again.”
Cardiff sit in 12th place in URC table, while Connacht are in 9th but just three points ahead of the Blue and Blacks.
Both teams will be missing players to the Six Nations but with many of Cardiff’s younger players with Wales it has left the squad with plenty of experience.
“We're probably pleasantly surprised that we got as many as we did in the Welsh squad. I think it's 12 actually we've got in there” added Sherratt.
“I think Connacht will likely be missing Aki and Bealham and maybe a couple more, but the players we've got left here, when you look at our team sheet, they're all pretty experienced players.
“There’s actually a lot of our younger players got called up into the Welsh squad and has actually left some experience behind, which is the flip of what it usually is where it's your experienced players going out the door and some of the younger boys left.”
Both teams have played free flowing attacking rugby this season and Sherratt sees similarities between the styles of play, especially how the two teams run from deep and utilise the passing abilities of the forwards.
“I feel they've developed into a very consistent performing team and probably similar to us. I know we finished historically in quite a similar position.
“We also play quite a similar style of rugby as well. We did a bit of prep today and I think we're first and second for the amount of passes our forwards make in the league.
“They're a brave team so they'll run from deep so actually watching them and preparing to play against them has been quite nice. They play a really good style of rugby.
Cardiff have won three, lost five and drawn one from their opening nine matches in the United Rugby Championship, but have earnt a bonus points from every defeat.
Heading into the second half of the season, Sherratt is targeting turning those narrow losses into victories while still maintaining the same attacking style and ambition he has cultivated so far this season.
“I think probably for both teams it's one of those games where it can kick start the second half of your season so obviously they'll be looking to come and get a good kickstart to the second half of the season,” said Sherratt.
“What we've talked about with the players this week is really showing more of the same attitude and ambition to play as we have in the first block, but seeing if we can turn a couple of those close losses into wins because we've got a point from every game in the first nine rounds of the URC.
“It's showing that same kind of ambition and same physical effort but hopefully with a little bit of learning on top of that so we can maybe get those three or four point swings come our way.”