Lloyd Williams believes Cardiff Blues have turned a corner, as they prepare to host Glasgow Warriors at the Welsh capital on Saturday (KO 7.35pm)
John Mulvihill’s side are seeking a first win over the Scottish outfit, having already faced the Warriors three times this season.
There is no room for slip up as Cardiff Blues head into the business-end of the campaign targeting a top three finish in Conference A, and the scrum half insists the squad are itching to prove a point on Saturday.
“They’re all big games from now on, and the next fortnight will start to determine where people finish in the Conference at the end of the season,” said the Welsh international.
“We’ve touched on the block as a three-game series but we will start with Glasgow first and cross the next bridge when we come to it.
“I feel like our performances have turned a corner recently and that’s the important thing.
“We haven’t won every game, but we’ve competed in every game and had a chance of winning, which is positive.
“We dominated the game against Connacht last time out but didn’t manage to turn our pressure into points, and we’ll have to do that against Glasgow this weekend in order to win.
“They’re a good team, but we’ve lost to them three times already this season, and that doesn’t sit well amongst the squad.
“It will be big for us as a team and it’s important to be the best version of ourselves, if we want to be in with a chance of winning the game.
“In the previous games against Glasgow, our discipline has been poor, which allowed them to get a lot of field position.
“They’re good at keeping the ball, and when they had possession they managed to turn pressure into points.
“We let them off the hook at times, and that’s something we’ve learnt from. We’ve also been guilty of concentrating too much on them in the past, too, so we’ve looked a lot at ourselves this week.
“Being at home, with a big support behind us, will give us a boost and hopefully we can come away with the victory.”
Cardiff Blues have made four changes for Saturday’s encounter, and are boosted by the return of Jarrod Evans, Seb Davies and Josh Turnbull, who have been released from international duty.
Williams welcomes the return of the Wales trio, but is aware of the threats posed by Dave Rennie’s side.
The scrum half said: “We’re lucky to have strength-in-depth in those positions, but having them back is a luxury.
“They’re great boys to have around the building, both on and off the field, and they’ve been good for us season, so I’m sure they’ll be excited to get a bit of game-time as well.
“Scotland usually release boys back to clubs when they’re not involved so we’ve been expecting a strong side.
“That’s perfect because we’ve prepared for this and we’re really looking forward to a big game on Saturday.”
The race for Heineken Champions Cup qualification is on, as Cardiff Blues kick off a crucial block of Guinness PRO14 fixtures by welcoming Glasgow Warriors to the Welsh capital on Saturday, February 16. Make sure you snap up your tickets and #PackCAP