Daf Hughes is excited about what lies ahead after helping Cardiff to a bonus-point win over Zebre Parma in the BKT United Rugby Championship.
The hooker was at the back of three dominant driving lineouts to inspire the Blue & Blacks to a first win outside of Wales since May 2024, and a fourth consecutive league win for the first time since 2019.
To make the victory all the sweeter, Taine Basham powered over to make it a bonus-point win in the last play as Cardiff climbed to the top of the URC table.
And while the focus remains on one game at a time rather than grand ambitions, Hughes, who was named BKT Player of the Game, is excited for massive 10-game block.
He said: “I’m excited. It’s a big month, a big 10 weeks really. It’s a 10-game block for us. We’ll go game by game, go to the European games, then we’ll come back for the derbies and that’s a big focus for us.
“I can’t take too much credit (for the tries). I was out back in the maul, but the boys in front of me dug in and did well. We spoke in a week that we needed to make it (driving lineout) a weapon again, and it obviously showed we’ve still got it.
“We knew Zebre were going come back with a reaction. We got on top of them in the first-half and it showed. So just to stay in it, to stay defensively in it and then be able to go back up the other end and score is a bit of a testament to the group as well. To be able to do that is big to finish.
“It’s tough place to come out here. Your pack really needs to be on fire to come out here to take a win, and they were today. I’m out the back here and I took my three tries.
“We spoke in last three, four weeks of building for something. We’re a tight group. We’ve got the next two games together, and we want to get something from it.
“So, to come out here to get five points is massive. Obviously going forward, we have a bit of momentum going to the European Cup stuff and obviously put some nice stuff together ready for the derbies.
It will definitely important. We found out last year there’s one or two points in it to be in the top eight. So if we keep our heads down, go game by game, we’re going to put ourselves in a good spot at the end of season.”
Cardiff travel to face Stade Francais in the opening round of the European Challenge Cup next before hosting three back-to-back games at the Arms Park, including two Welsh derbies.
Tickets for all three games are available now.