Danny Wilson has warned Cardiff Blues to expect an "extremely dangerous" Toyota Cheetahs side as the region enter a defining period of the season.
The Blues return to Guinness PRO14 action with a run of five consecutive matches in the encounter, four of which are at the Arms Park.
That kicks off with a mouth-watering clash against the South African outfit, who sit third in the Conference A table, one-place and 15-points ahead of Wales’ Capital Region, on Saturday at 7.35pm.
And Wilson is acutely aware of just how important this block of PRO14 matches will be in the wider context of the season.
Wilson said: “It’s a massive block of games for us, coming out of qualification for the quarter-finals of Europe, which is one achievement we targeted and getting into those play-off position is another.
“To do that the Cheetahs are the side above us in the table, comfortably above us, and we have a lot of work to do.
“That work starts by beating them at home. Three of the next four games are at home so we need big crowds at the Arms Park to get behind us and hopefully we can pick up the home wins and momentum to climb and put pressure on the Cheetahs.”
Due to the Cheetahs’ ineligibility for European competition the Blues, as it stands, would qualify for the Champions Cup.
Connacht and the Ospreys are chasing hard and Wilson knows, the Blues must claim a second victory over the Cheetahs following an historic pre-season triumph over the same opposition in 2012.
Wilson continued: “Right now the three of us (Cardiff Blues, Connacht and Ospreys) are very close but it is important that we look up and not down. We sit at the top of that group just and above us is the Cheetahs.
“They are an extremely dangerous team who play a really high tempo, pretty loose brand of rugby and they have a back three who are really dangerous and full of gas.
“They will enjoy playing on our surface but they also have a pack of forwards who are quite impressive in terms of their nuts and bolts and the foundations they provide.
“All round they are a dangerous team and they obviously don’t lose any internationals during this period. It’s a chance for them to come here with us missing a few and them fully-loaded so it will be a great game and one which is vital for us.”
Tickets for Cardiff Blues versus Toyota Cheetahs in the Guinness PRO14 are available now by clicking here or calling 029 20 302030.