Centre Ben Thomas has welcomed the return of several Wales players to the squad ahead of Cardiff's BKT United Rugby Championship match against Glasgow on Friday night.
Although some of the Blue and Blacks’ Wales players have been given an extended break, Mackenzie Martin, Mason Grady, Seb Davies and Teddy Williams have re-joined the squad this week and it’s been provided a big boost according to Thomas.
“It's nice to get the boys back in, especially when we've had a bit of a depleted squad throughout,” said Thomas.
“It’s probably the best training session we've had since pre-Six Nations, so just having that bit of extra quality back into the session has made a real good feeling.
“We haven't seen a few of the boys, obviously. A few got a week off, boys had a lot of game time, but Macka (Mackenzie Martin) was coming back in, Seb and Teddy, so it’s back to usual.
Unfortunately, scrum-half Tomos Williams was injured during the match against Italy, rupturing his ankle ligaments and is unlikely to play for Cardiff again before his move to Gloucester in the summer.
“It’s sad news for us players, obviously for Tom too. I'm sure he would have liked to be able to finish here on his terms,” added Thomas.
“He's been amazing, I'm sure everyone's seen how good he's been for us, but he sort of embodies what we stand for as a rugby team. He's exciting, he's a great player, and he'll be really missed here.”
Often played as a utility back in the past, Thomas has enjoyed an extended run in the side in the centres this season which has seen his game thrive.
“It’s probably the first season I've ever had where I'm fully settled into a position and I've enjoyed being settled.
“I think it helps with my rugby, getting a bit of continuity and basically just learning my position.
“Playing with those boys inside and out of me, it's nice to get settled and get a bit of fluidity to our combinations.
Although Cardiff sit twelfth in the table, they have lost several tight matches and the focus of the team has been on improving week by week and performance rather than the outcome.
With the Blues and Blacks facing Glasgow this week, that outlook hasn’t changed and the spirit in the camp remains high as the season draws to its close.
“It's probably the same message we've had from the start of the season. We haven't spoken about playoffs or anything like that since day one of pre-season,” said Thomas.
“We've just spoken week to week and it's a bit of a cliché, but that's generally how it's been. We look every week to reset on Monday and go again.
“As long as we're getting better each week in some capacity, whether that's a bit of detail in our attack or our defence or whatever it is, that's our goal for this year, is to get better each week and that's the changes that we can make for us against Glasgow now.
“The table probably doesn't reflect how we feel here. We’ve definitely enjoyed all of our games, but we've had a lot of close games and probably the first season I can remember where we've come away with something from pretty much every game in the league.
“They've all been really close games and it definitely doesn't feel around here like we're sitting 12th on the table.
“There’s a real good feeling around the place and that's probably down to the rugby we played and how close the games have been.
“We’re not too focused on outcome, whether it's been a win or a loss, because they are all pretty much last minute losses and on a different day that could go a different way, and as long as our processes are in place then I'm sure one day eventually those wins will come.”