Fly-half Nicky will face Scots in Friday clash

Mar 26 2008 icWales

NICKY Robinson will return to the Cardiff Blues squad for the trip to Edinburgh on Friday, ending an injury absence of five months.

The Welsh international fly-half has finally recovered from a thigh injury picked up in the EDF Energy Cup pool match defeat to Leicester at Welford Road back last November.

The Blues have yet to finalise their starting line-up but Robinson will definitely be on the bench with head coach Dai Young aiming to get him at least 20 minutes’ game time at Murrayfield.

If he comes through unscathed then the left-sided pivot will start against Toulouse in the big Heineken Cup quarter-final away to Toulouse on April 6.

Robinson’s lay-off has highlighted the Blues’ lack of top class options at number 10, with injuries to others exacerbating the problem.

Both Dai Flanagan and Nick Macleod have also spent time on the treatment table and Young was even forced to pitch 20-year-old rookie Rhys Jones in for the Magners League clash with Munster earlier this month.

Following the defeat to Llanelli Scarlets last Friday night the Blues have fallen off the pace in the Celtic competition, slipping to fifth place and 13 points behind runaway leaders Leinster.

That’s one position and two points behind Edinburgh, who have lost just once in seven Magners outings since last November.

The Scots will therefore be favourites on their own patch, but coach Andy Robinson is wary of the feel-good factor seeping through the Blues squad from the Welsh Grand Slam players like Martyn Williams, Tom Shanklin and Gethin Jenkins.

He said: “I was fortunate enough to have worked with those guys with the Lions and I know how committed and talented they all are as professionals.

“Welsh rugby is enjoying a real high at the moment after the Grand Slam success of a couple of weeks ago and this will impact on all the country’s professional teams.

“But we need to make sure we pay attention to detail on the night and maintain our collective concentration levels if we are to maintain our winning run.”

Robinson is not without his own problems among his squad though.

He has been forced to draft in two academy forwards in Sean Crombie and Fraser McKenzie.

Edinburgh are without Allan Jacobsen (groin), Ross Ford (ankle), Roland Reid (hamstring) and Alan MacDonald (fractured cheekbone) who are all ruled out through injury.

Meanwhile, Greig Laidlaw, Ally Warnock and Scott Newlands are away on international duty with the Scotland Sevens squad in Hong Kong.

Robinson added: “With three of our first team squad players away in Hong Kong and a further four ruled out through injury, we have been forced to look at our options.

“But this situation creates an opportunity for someone else to come in and seize their chance. One of the key factors behind our positive results so far this season has been the level of competition for places in the side.”

Edinburgh (27-man squad): H Southwell, C MacRae, A Turnbull, J Houston, B Cairns, M Dey, N De Luca, S Webster, D Blair, P Godman, B Meyer, M Blair; G Kerr, A Allori, A Kelly, S Lawrie, C Smith, S Crombie, M Mustchin, B Gissing, F Pringle, C Hamilton, A Hogg (c), S Cross, R Rennie, D Callam, F McKenzie.