Posted by Cardiff get on-field pre-season action underway by welcoming newly-promoted English Championship side Richmond FC to the Arms Park on Saturday afternoon, 3pm kick-off.
With none of the Welsh internationals that travelled to Japan over the summer selected, along with a number of first team regulars from the 2024/25 campaign, it means the majority of the squad that will take the field this weekend are properly chomping at the bit having returned to training during June – before last season had even finished for some other sides.
I’ve had a look at a few things worth watching from a Blue & Blacks perspective amidst the organised chaos of Summerfest on what is forecast to be a perfect day in the Welsh capital.
Bevan’s back
Rewind 10 months and Ellis Bevan is starting back-to-back test matches against Australia and South Africa, respectively, in the Autumn Internationals. Since then though it’s been a tough stint for the scrum-half with just 303 further minutes of action across all competitions for Cardiff as he slipped out of the 23 at club level and subsequently out of the reckoning for Cymru.
The emergence of Johan Mulder and the importance of Aled Davies’ experienced are likely to carry on as the preferred nine options for Matt Sherratt at the start of the new season, while Ieuan Davies’ arrival on loan from Bath adds more competition for the 25-year-old who was rumoured to be in line for a move away from the club over the summer.
However, he’s still very much in Blue & Black and starts against Richmond hunting to rediscover the form that marked him out as one-to-watch while at Cardiff Met and playing for Cymru D20. On a dry day and the fast Arms Park pitch there’s an ideal opportunity to play fast and free for the scrum-half, adding in his physicality and booming left boot in order to catch the eye and push for a spot in a URC matchday 23.
Hurricane on the move
When Rey Lee-Lo picked up a knock at the back end of last season to join Mason Grady in the treatment room it seemed that outside centre was about to hit a crisis point of availability, potentially leaving Matt Sherratt with no option other than to sign a short-term reinforcement.
Instead though the head coach turned to a man who had come through the pathway as a 13 but had not started a game there for six years – Harri Millard. The Mountain Ash RFC man slotted into midfield in the game that should have been won against Benetton, and then stayed there for the final four games of the league season, scoring against Munster and Stormers in a run of solid showings.
Going into 2025/26 without any new signings across those outside backs it was expected that the 29-year-old would again be asked to cover outside centre with the fit-again Mason Grady starting and Elijah Evans emerging from the academy. It is Millard who will wear 13 on Saturday though, with Grady and Evans taking the wing berths, possibly pointing to Hurricane Harri being considered more than just midfield cover.
Rees adding pieces
A lot of the focus on the Cardiff pathway in the last year or so has centred on the talented backs on the way through; Harri Wilde, Steff Emanuel, Elijah Evans, Osian Darwin-Lewis and Tom Bowen will all be on show on Saturday afternoon.
However, Evan Rees has quietly been making his mark in the back row slightly away from the limelight of first team involvement or Cymru D20 call-ups. Comfortable at blindside or number eight, he has already racked up 14 competitive appearances for the Rags having made his debut while still at U18 level in March 2024 and then playing 10 times last season until injury struck.
Back fit and firing he has trained with the first team this summer and played in both of the pre-season friendlies that Dan Fish’s side have won so far, scoring against Esher last week at the Arms Park. To this observer’s eye he has added a fair bit of bulk while sidelined and will be aiming to catch the eye against Richmond before stringing together some starts in Super Rygbi Cymru.
Cardiff Rugby Life 