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 won’t be involved this weekend, so I’m 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 don’t 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.