Matthew Morgan makes his first start in nine weeks as Cardiff say bye bye to the Blues this weekend in their final game of the season.
The fleet-footed full-back returned from a groin injury as a replacement against Munster last Friday. Now he wears 15 for Saturday evening’s Rainbow Cup clash with Zebre at the Arms Park (7.35pm).
With Lion Josh Adams rested and Hallam Amos (concussion), Owen Lane (suspended) and Aled Summerhill (wrist) all sidelined, club stalwart Dan Fish steps in on the wing.
As Olly Robinson has picked up shoulder damage which will keep him for up to six weeks and James Ratti (lower back) is also crocked, there’s a back row opportunity for young flanker Gwilym Bradley.
Scrum-half Lloyd Williams also comes in amid five changes, while centre Rey Lee-Lo makes a welcome return on the bench after a nine-week lay-off with a leg injury.
It will be the final time the team runs out as Cardiff Blues, with the side to be re-branded as Cardiff Rugby from next season.
Director of rugby Dai Young, said: “We want to finish on a high in the last game of the season at home.
“Hopefully we’ll have the performance that we’re looking for alongside the result, which would give the Cardiff supporters a little bit of excitement ahead of coming back at the start of next season when, hopefully, the crowds are back on board.”
Cardiff Blues: Matthew Morgan; Jason Harries, Willis Halaholo, Ben Thomas, Dan Fish; Jarrod Evans, Lloyd Williams; Corey Domachowski, Liam Belcher, Dillon Lewis, Seb Davies, Cory Hill, James Botham,
Replacements: Kirby Myhill, Rhys Carre, Dmitri Arhip, Rory Thornton, Alun Lawrence, Tomos Williams, Harri Millard, Rey Lee-Lo.
Zebre: Michelangelo Biondelli; Pierre Bruno, Federico Mori, Enrico Lucchin, Giovanni D’Onofrio; Carlo Canna, Guglielmo Palazzani; Daniele Rimpelli, Oliviero Fabiani, Eduardo Bello, Samuele Ortis, Leonard Krumov, Maxime Mbandà, Iacopo Bianchi, Renato Giammarioli.
Replacements: Marco Manfredi, Paolo Buonfiglio, Matteo Nocera, Cristian Stoian, Giovanni Licata, Nicolò Casilio, Jacopo Trulla, Filippo Di Marco.All. Michael Bradley
Referee: Ben Blain (SRU)
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