Samu Manoa will be entering a blood-thirsty French battle ground when he makes his Cardiff Blues debut this weekend – but only from the replacements’ bench.
The American back rower of Tongan descent will make his long-awaited first appearance for the Blues away to Lyon in the opening round of the Heineken Champions Cup on Sunday if he is sent on.
Blues coach John Mulvihill had claimed earlier in the week that Manoa would be starting the game, but has changed his mind and instead drafted his new signing onto the bench.
Issues with his visa and fitness problems have delayed Manoa’s bow for the Blues after he joined in the summer, but now he is about to be thrust into a clash his coach believes will not be for the faint-hearted.
“We could have 20,000-30,000 supporters there baying for our blood – it will be a great occasion,” said Mulvihill.
“It will be fantastic down there. We have done our homework on them and feel if we go to compete, really throw the ball around and make the game quick then we will give ourselves an opportunity to win.”
Manoa, 33, moved to the Blues following three years at Toulon and prior to that a hugely successful period at Northampton Saints where he established himself as one of the most dynamic back row forwards in the game.
But despite making seven changes to the team that beat the Dragons in the Guinness Pro14 last week, including resting No.8 Nick Williams, Mulvihill has gone with a back row of Olly Robinson, Ellis Jenkins and Josh Navidi.
Manoa’s impact will have to come from the bench with Mulvihill adding: “He just brings that physicality and he’s shown that in training. He’s a very good rugby player and those players pick up patterns really quickly. He has done that in a week and we are happy with where he’s at.
“He was probably a day or two short of playing the Dragons but he will be good to go. It wasn’t so much his fitness but our line-out calls, the patterns of play and going into a derby we thought it was a bit of a risk.”
The Blues, who won the European Challenge Cup last season, return to the top tier for first time since 2014, and go into competition on the back of three consecutive wins.
Up front, props Rhys Gill and Dillon Lewis pack down either side of Kristian Dacey, with Brad Thyer and Dmitri Arhip dropping to the bench. Macauley Cook comes in for George Earle, while Robinson, Jenkins and Navidi form the back-row.
In the backs, Tomos Williams and Jarrod Evans get the nod at half-back, with Gareth Anscombe switching to full-back, and Garyn Smith makes his first start of the season.
“It is great for us as a region to be back in the Heineken Champions Cup – the significance of this competition is vitally important to us,” added the Australian.
“Just being at the launch event, it really hit home what a big competition this is and how important it is that we are in it each year. It is the very best of the best.
“We will go into every game to compete and Lyon is a great fixture to kick-off our campaign. It will be a fantastic occasion down there and we are all looking forward to experiencing the atmosphere.
“We’ve rotated the team a little to ensure boys are managed properly and have purposely picked a very mobile and dynamic back-row to suit the game-plan we want to implement.”
The Blues triumphed over Lyon twice on their way to winning the Challenge Cup last season and thirteen of Sunday’s squad have tasted victory at Stade de Gerland.
Lyon currently stand third in the French Top 14 and have won four of their last five matches.
The club will be making their debut in the European Cup this season. They booked their place with a fifth place finish in last season’s Top 14 having been promoted from the ProD2 in 2016.
A host of familiar names have been drafted in including former Clermont wing Noa Nakaitaci, the Chiefs’ Charlie Ngatai and experienced fly-half Jonathan Wisniewski.
However, they have lost the services of several players, among them former Wallabies fly-half Mike Harris, prop Stephane Clement and the now retired Frederic Michalak.
Cardiff Blues: Gareth Anscombe, Owen Lane, Garyn Smith, Willis Halaholo, Jason Harries, Jarrod Evans, Tomos Williams; Rhys Gill, Kristian Dacey, Dillon Lewis, Macauley Cook, Josh Turnbull, Olly Robinson, Ellis Jenkins, Josh Navidi.
Replacements: Kirby Myhill, Brad Thyer, Dmitri Arhip, Rory Thornon, Samu Manoa, Lloyd Williams, Rey Lee-Lo, Aled Summerhill