CARDIFF Blues head to the AJ Bell Stadium in Manchester tonight for their third Anglo-Welsh cup game of the season against Sale Sharks.
Richard Hodges, who takes care of the Anglo-Welsh cup tournament, will be looking for a significant improvement from the Blues’ first two games in the tournament back in November, when they lost 31-7 at home to Ospreys and shipped 10 tries in a 62-25 defeat by the Exeter Chiefs.
With two games remaining it is highly unlikely the Blues will overhaul a seven-point gap to Group 3 leaders Harlequins and make the semi-finals. They sit bottom of the group with a solitary point but will hope to regain some pride with a win away to an out-of-form Sale side.
The Sharks had lost their previous 10 matches before a 25-23 win over Scarlets in the European Champions Cup last weekend.
Hodges has elected to go for a youthful set-up, although 10 of the starting 15 have played in the Pro12 or Challenge Cup before.
American No 8 Cam Dolan, who has been in bullish try-scoring form for Cardiff RFC this season, will lead the side.
Fly-half Jarrod Evans and full-back Aled Summerhill return for the Blues after two months on the sidelines, while Hodges gives a debut to Samoan scrum-half Pele Cowley.
The Blues will have to keep an eye on free-scoring Kiwi winger Denny Solomona, as well as their former charge Mike Phillips, who starts at scrum-half for the Sharks.
Teams:
Sale Sharks: Haley, Solomona, Leota, Tiutupou, McGuigan, McGinty, Phillips; Harrison, Briggs, Aulika, Evans, Mills, Curry, Seymour (capt), Pearce
Cardiff Blues: Summerhill, Gee, Allen, Smith, Millard, Evans, Cowley; Domachowski, Lewis, Assiratti, Edwards, Davies, Sheekey, Sienawski, Dolan (capt)
