Matthew Morgan will hit a century of Cardiff Blues appearances when he lines-up against the Scarlets in the Guinness PRO14 on Friday (KO 8.00pm).
Interim director of rugby, Dai Young takes charge for the first time since returning to the Welsh capital and has made two changes for the trip to Parc y Scarlets.
After a 29-20 victory over Glenn Delaney’s side at Cardiff City Stadium a fortnight ago, Wales’ Capital Region are targeting back-to-back victories over their Conference B rivals, with only two points separating them in the table and play-off rugby up for grabs.
Full back Morgan, who arrived at Cardiff Arms Park in 2016, lines up in an unchanged back line which includes Wales’ Six Nations call-ups Jarrod Evans, Josh Adams, Hallam Amos and Tomos Williams.
Both changes therefore, are made in the pack, with Seb Davies returning to partner captain Cory Hill in the second-row.
Shane Lewis-Hughes is ruled out of the encounter, meaning fellow academy graduate, Alun Lawrence, wears the number eight jersey.
He is joined in the back row by Welsh international duo James Botham and Josh Turnbull, who makes his 200th Guinness PRO14 appearance.
Having represented both his home region, Scarlets, and Cardiff Blues in the Championship, utility forward Turnbull over-takes John Barclay to move fifth in the PRO14’s all-time appearance makers.
Director of rugby, Young, said: “Discipline has been the theme of the week for us. There are plenty of positive from the win a fortnight ago, but also plenty of learnings.
“On the whole it was a good performance, but there was a 20 minute spell where we conceded a series of penalties and allowed Scarlets back into the fight.
“We’re eager to show the same intent and innovation with ball in hand, and there are plenty of boys in that side who can cause problems for the opposition defence, but it all starts with our work up front.
“We’ve decided to keep faith with the boys that secured the victory last time out and they’ve all deserved another shot.
“We’re expecting a backlash and a reaction from a proud Scarlets side, who will be out to prove a point in their own back yard. It’s up to us to match that intensity.
“It’s excellent to see Matthew Morgan and Josh Turnbull hitting big milestones. It’s reward for their commitment and service to the side and they’ve been important squad members during their time here.
“There will be a few boys in there who will be disappointed to miss out on international selection this week. The best thing they can do now is put their head down, react positively and prove a point in a big derby encounter.”
On the bench, there is a welcome return for Josh Navidi, who is set for his first involvement of the season. The back row, who has also been included in Wayne Pivac’s Wales squad, has been sidelined with concussion this season.
All but one of the replacements are product of the Cardiff Blues pathway, including the returning Kristian Dacey and fellow internationals Rhys Carré, Dillon Lewis and Lloyd Williams - taking the matchday squad tally to 15.
Cardiff Blues: Matthew Morgan; Josh Adams, Rey Lee-Lo, Willis Halaholo, Hallam Amos; Jarrod Evans, Tomos Williams; Corey Domachowski, Liam Belcher, Dmitri Arhip, Seb Davies, Cory Hill (capt.), Josh Turnbull, James Botham, Alun Lawrence
Replacements: Kristian Dacey, Rhys Carré, Dillon Lewis, Rory Thornton, Josh Navidi, Lloyd Williams, Ben Thomas, Aled Summerhill