Caaaardiff Blues v Ulster Sun 28th Feb 2:30pm BBCNI/S4C

[Neill_M]

On the road this weekend at the Arms Park on the artificial surface. A much improved performance needed all round after Sunday. Of those in the Ireland squad - who will be selected v England/kept in reserve/released? Will Nick Williams be back? Dan Tuohy due back soon as well. Discuss.....

[Cornerfleg]

S.S.D.M.

[ruckover]

Dan not back until the end of March.

[Neill_M]

Thought he was due back end of Feb/start of March? However end of March it is. Couldn't find the injury update from the time in the UR news archive.

[ruckover]

Thought he was due back end of Feb/start of March? However end of March it is. Couldn't find the injury update from the time in the UR news archive.

Initially he was, but recovery has been slow.

[damianmcr]

We are crap. Cardiff are crap. This game will likely be crap.

Cardiff got beat by Zebre then got beat by Leinster at the weekend. Think the Leinster game was tight enough. Im not sure how Leinster played though.

If Nick and Herring are back I will be confident enough.

Any word on Alan O'Connor after he got injured on Sunday?

Will Gilroy stay with Ireland? Zebo and Earls should be back so hopefully for our sake he is released. Hopefully Payne is fit for Ireland.

Stupidly I will be angry with anything less than 5pts though I dont expect this.

[BaggyTrousers]

Dan not back until the end of March.

Certainly what I thought. So not back soon then.

Herring and Nick probably ok. Cave may be out/rested. McCloskey being photographed in green and not released this week means he's being held back for Payne.

Bit of a conundrum this week.

Assuming Ludik may also be available? If so Pienaar, Jackson (if released) Olding Marshall a couple of wingers, Stockdale & wee Sammy probably, Ludik. Two scrummies & iHumph on the bench.

Feck it could all be going arseshaped.

[Neill_M]

Preview: Cardiff Blues v Ulster

Cardiff Blues have slipped to successive defeats in the Guinness PRO12, at Treviso and at home to Leinster. Blues only victory over an Irish province in their last seven such encounters was 20-16 at home to Connacht in December. Ulster's three game winning run in the Guinness PRO12 came to a halt by the narrowest of margins at home to Scarlets on Sunday. The Ulstermen have not lost successive regular season games in the same season since December 2014. Ulster won 19-12 against Dragons on their most recent visit to Wales and have not won on back-to-back trips to the country since season 2012/13. The Blues have won only one of their last seven fixtures with Ulster: 28-23 at BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park in March 2014.

At BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park, 2.30pm. Live on S4C/BBC Sport NI
Referee: John Lacey (IRFU, 49th competition game)
Assistant Referees: Dan Jones, Gwyn Morris (both WRU)
Citing Commissioner: John Charles (WRU)
TMO: Jon Mason (WRU)

[Neill_M]

We are crap. Cardiff are crap. This game will likely be crap.

Cardiff got beat by Zebre then got beat by Leinster at the weekend. Think the Leinster game was tight enough. Im not sure how Leinster played though.

If Nick and Herring are back I will be confident enough.

Any word on Alan O'Connor after he got injured on Sunday?

Will Gilroy stay with Ireland? Zebo and Earls should be back so hopefully for our sake he is released. Hopefully Payne is fit for Ireland.

Stupidly I will be angry with anything less than 5pts though I dont expect this.

Cardiff Mexican game was played in shocking weather conditions, impossible to tell much from it. Caardiff did have a lot of Welsh players released back last week, will not be so many this week (Anscombe and Cuthbert in Welsh 23, Cory Allen injured again etc). Tom James not in Welsh 23, so he may play.

[thecrouch]

iHumph will start. We will lose.

[scrum5]

We will lose whither Humphs starts or not. We are appalling away from home and have been since Anscombe left.

[Nightsoil]

Being able to start FNW and Herring would be a huge boost. Would like to get Reidy back in there too.

[Snipe Watson]

Nick is our on field enforcer. He leads and others like AOC follow. We din't have anyone nasty enough on Sunday and it cost us.

[ruckover]

I don't think AOC follows anyone's lead, he's an enforcer in his own right. Doesn't make huge yardage with ball in hand but definitely doesn't shy away from contact.

[therealspratt]

I don't think AOC follows anyone's lead, he's an enforcer in his own right. Doesn't make huge yardage with ball in hand but definitely doesn't shy away from contact.

Aye he's a rare thing for an Ulster player, bit of a mean so and so but has the smarts to get away with it.