Tonight in Musgrave Park Munster will be looking for a performance that will take them back into the top four of the RaboDirect PRO12 and leave them in good heart for the upcoming European fare.
Results last night saw Munster drop to sixth place in the table and they'll be mindful that last time a Welsh side visited Cork, a wretched perfromance reaped due reward.
On that occasion it was the Scarlets who gave them the runaround but since then Rob Penney's side have won three on the bounce in as positive a response as he could have expected and this evening he'll be looking for a continuance of that form even if it's once again a much changed side.
The likes of Peter O'Mahony, Simon Zebo and Donncha O'Callaghan are given a breather while illness or injury rules out Damien Varley, Dave O'Callaghan, Niall Ronan, Luke O'Dea and now Johne Murphy who had been drafted into the staring XV for O'Dea but has subsequently withdrawn with a hamstring injury and is replaced by Denis Hurley.
There is a return to the starting line-up for Keith Earls for the first time since the Saracens game in early December, Felix Jones and for Sean Dougall who limped out of the November 2nd game against the Blues at The Arms Park.
Dougall will renew acquaintance with team-mate from Rotherham Titan days Robin Copeland but his attention will be fixed by his opposite number Lions captain contender Sam Warburton and it's this pair along with skipper Josh Navidi who will pose a huge threat to the Munster rearguard.
Out wide there's the massive presence of Jamie Roberts, back in the starting XV for the first time since injury in the November internationals and he'll demand the closest of attention by Earls and co.
Relative League standings will count for very little this evening in a game where ultimate control may be wrested up front and the outcome very likely determined by Munster's kicking king in the ten jersey.
Munster: F Jones; D Howlett, K Earls, J Downey, D Hurley; R O'Gara, C Murray; D Kilcoyne, M Sherry, S Archer; D Foley, D Ryan; T O'Donnell, S Dougall, J Coughlan. Replacements: S Henry, W du Preez, BJ Botha, B Holland, CJ Stander, D Williams, I Keatley, C Laulala.
Cardiff Blues: J Tovey; O Williams, R Smith, J Roberts, H Robinson; R Patchell, L Jones; S Hobbs, R Williams, B Bourrust: B Davies, L Reed; J Navidi, S Warburton, R Copeland. Replacements: K Dacey, P Tamba, S Andrews, J Down, L Hamilton, A Walker, C Sweeney, L Halfpenny.
Referee: Nigel Owens
