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Blues name team to face Tigers

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Cardiff Blues have included three British & Irish Lions and two All Blacks in their team for Saturday's match against Leicester Tigers in the EDF Energy Cup.

Coach Dai Young has made six changes to the side that won at Sale Sharks last weekend and includes Lions tourists Gareth Thomas, Martyn Williams and Tom Shanklin plus New Zealand internationals Xavier Rush and Ben Blair.

Most of the changes are in the forwards, where Williams returns to the back row, Bradley Davies makes his second start of the season at lock and there is a new front row with Wales internationals John Yapp and Gareth Williams joined by Tongan prop Taufa'ao Filise.

Gethin Jenkins, Robin Sowden-Taylor and Deiniol Jones all picked up knocks in the bonus-point win over Sharks and are left out.

The only change in the backline sees Richie Rees coming in for Jason Spice at scrum-half.

Wales' World Cup captain Thomas scored twice on his Blues debut at Sharks last week and retains his place alongside Shanklin in an experienced midfield and Nicky Robinson, a try-scorer in the Heineken Cup clash against Tigers at the Millennium Stadium last season, is named at fly-half.

Tickets for Saturday's game (kick-off 2.30pm) are available now from the Tigers ticket office. Contact the ticket office on 08701 28 34 30.

Cardiff Blues
15 Ben Blair
14 Jamie Roberts
13 Tom Shanklin
12 Gareth Thomas
11 Tom James
10 Nicky Robinson
9 Richie Rees

1 John Yapp
2 Gareth Williams
3 Taufa'ao Filise
4 Bradley Davies
5 Paul Tito
6 Maama Molitka
7 Martyn Williams
8 Xavier Rush (c)

Replacements

16 Gary Powell
17 T Rhys Thomas
18 Robert Sidoli
19 Scott Morgan
20 Jason Spice
21 Dai Flanagan
22 Rhys Williams