| Venue: The Arms Park, Cardiff Date: Saturday, 17 February Kick off: 17:15 GMT |
| Coverage: Live on S4C and via iPlayer. Match report on the BBC Sport website and app. |
Wales Six Nations squad forward Seb Davies starts for Cardiff on Saturday against Connacht with Mackenzie Martin on the bench.
Head coach Matt Sherratt also gives new signing from Gloucester Ben Donnell a back-row debut.
Hooker Liam Belcher returns to lead the hosts.
Connacht have made four starting changes as Dave Heffernan, Jack Aungier, Conor Oliver and fit-again Cathal Forde return.
Donnell joins Thomas Young and Lopeti Timani in the home back row.
Cardiff are 12th in the United Rugby Championship with three wins and a draw from their nine matches. Connacht have three more points than their Welsh opposition and lie ninth with five victories.
Cardiff boss Matt Sherratt said: “We’ve talked about showing more of the same attitude and ambition to play as we have in the first block, but seeing if we can turn a couple of those close losses into wins because we’ve got a point from every game in the first nine rounds of the URC.
“It’s showing that same kind of ambition and same physical effort but hopefully with a little bit of learning on top of that so we can maybe get those three or four point swings come our way.
“Connacht are a quality team. They play a similar attacking brand to ourselves. They are brave and like to use the ball so it will be a really good match up.”
Connacht head coach Pete Wilkins said: “The break was helpful for a number of reasons – both in terms of giving the group some down-time after 13 straight weeks, and then allowing us the time to put in some good training sessions and work on the areas we’d like to improve on.
“Coupled with the return of a few players back from injury, everyone’s really positive about the next block of games starting tomorrow.
We’ve had some close battles with Cardiff down the years and historically they’re one of the teams we’re competing with for a play-off spot, so we fully appreciate the importance of the game.”
Cardiff: Jacob Beetham; Owen Lane, Rey Lee-Lo, Ben Thomas Aled Summerhill; Tinus de Beer, Ellis Bevan; Rhys Carre, Liam Belcher, Will Davies-King, Shane Lewis-Hughes, Seb Davies, Ben Donnell, Thomas Young , Lopeti Timani.
Replacements: Efan Daniel, Rhys Barratt, Ciaran Parker, Alun Lawrence, Mackenzie Martin, Jamie Hill, Arwel Robson, Willis Halaholo.
Connacht: Tiernan O’Halloran; Shayne Bolton, David Hawkshaw, Cathal Forde, Andrew Smith; JJ Hanrahan, Caolin Blade (capt); Denis Buckley, Dave Heffernan, Jack Aungier, Niall Murray, Joe Joyce, Shamus Hurley-Langton, Conor Oliver, Cian Prendergast.
Replacements: Tadgh McElroy, Peter Dooley, Sam Illo, Oisín Dowling, Jarrad Butler, Michael McDonald, Jack Carty, Tom Farrell.
Referee: Andrea Piardi (FIR)
Assistant referees: Craig Evans & Gwyn Morris (WRU)
TMO: Stefano Penne (FIR)
