Dan Thomas has loved every minute of his move back to Wales and is relishing the opportunity to drive standards and competition in the back-row.
The flanker joined the Blue & Blacks this summer following a decade across the border, first with Gloucester and then with West Country rivals Bristol Bears.
Thomas joins a fiercely competitive back-row stable with the likes of Wales internationals Taulupe Faletau. Thomas Young, James Botham, Alex Mann and Mackenzie Martin all jostling for places.
The 30-year-old is relishing that competition and the chance to both pass on the vast knowledge he has amassed and add further layers to his game.
He said: “It’s been really good and I am enjoying myself. It’s obviously a new challenge so it’s been like a breath of fresh air.
“Coming to Cardiff, coming back to Wales, my home country, is a big motivation and no matter what club I go to, I just try my best week in week out to make the team better and myself a better player.
“It’s an exciting group of players and obviously (the competition) in the back-row is a tough challenge. So I’m looking forward to that competition throughout the season.
“I’ve played against Thomas Young a few times when he was at Was and he’s a great player and there’s Botham as well. It will be tough competition within the season for the jersey but we will help each other out most of the time.
“It’s good competition and it’s healthy for the squad. I played a couple of years at Bristol with a lot of old heads around me. I had Steven Luatua, who was basically my mentor for the last seven years and I have learnt a lot from him.
“I’ve played a lot of rugby but in body and mind I am still a youngster. I have picked up a lot along the way and obviously I can teach that to the younger boys. But I’m also still learning myself.
“I have a lot of experience when it comes to rugby but I’m looking forward to just rubbing shoulders with the younger boys and challenging them.”
Thomas followed his former Bears teammate Callum Sheedy down the M4 and the duo are already in an entertaining lift club with fellow new signing Rory Jennings and Alun Lawrence.
Sheedy alerted Cardiff to the opportunity of picking up Thomas, something the flanker is enormously grateful for and he is determined to play his part in helping the Blue & Black turn narrow defeats into victories.
He added: “I think Sheeds was sorted months before me, but now I'm thankful for Sheeds because he pushed my name forward to come to Cardiff as well.
“Jockey’s given me an opportunity at Cardiff and I'm very grateful for that so it feels as if I have to repay him for that as well.
“The aim is to play for Cardiff, enjoy myself, enjoy my rugby and hopefully win games as well. At the end of the day I'm here to win games and hopefully everyone on the team has the desire to win games.
“That’s what makes rugby more enjoyable, really, when you're winning games and enjoying it with your mates. That's the best time.”