Tom Shanklin will captain the Cardiff Blues for the third time when they face Connacht this Saturday.
Speaking ahead of the game Shanklin said:
Xavier Rush is suffering from a throat infection and wont be involved this weekend, so Im honoured to lead the troops out for the match.
Hopefully it will be a hat trick of wins for me as we won when I captained the team at home against Ulster and also out in Galway previously - hopefully that is a lucky omen when we play Connacht this weekend.
I dont think the role will affect my game hugely, but it is a role that I will take seriously. We have a job to do out in Connacht and we are all focused on that.
Martyn Williams gets a well earned rest while Jamie Robinson has a slight groin strain and is also rested as a precaution.