A wasted chance of three points for Cardiff. From the kick-off Liam Belcher jackals superbly and wins his side a penalty.

Callum Sheedy goes for the sticks but can only push his effort wide from 25 metres.

As well as the try, Cardiff have started strongly defensively too.

Again the Bulls try to attack but are thwarted by a Dan Thomas turnover. The Blue and Blacks waste the chance to counter-attack though as the ball spills forward.

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What a start for Cardiff!

The Bulls hammer away in midfield, but Handre Pollard's pass to David Kriel goes to ground and Ben Thomas punces on the loose ball.

He then slips a pass to centre partner Harri Millard who races 40 metres unopposed to the posts. Callum Sheedy adds the extras and it is first blood to the visitors.

So on a clear evening in Pretoria, Ben Thomas gets us underway at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium with a deep kick-off.

If the last meeting between these two sides is anything to go by, we could be in for a treat.

It was May last year when the Bulls prevailed 45-21 in a game that yielded nine tries. That night, the Welsh side were staring adversity in the face as they trailed 45-7 after 52 minutes, only to rally late on and end up agonisingly close to a bonus point.

The visitors will have to make history to come away with a win tonight though. Since the Bulls came into the URC in 2021, they've won all four clashes with Cardiff with an aggregate score of 137-62.

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Cardiff coach Corniel van Zyl certainly knows Pretoria well. He attended University there, and insists his side is braced for a backlash from their hosts following their loss to Stormers.

"The Bulls' culture is that they back themselves in physical games and to dominate the set piece, while they've also got flyers on the outside," he said this week.

"We will have to fight and swing a few shots because I expect the very best of the Bulls, who will be shattered at the way they played last week. I can't envision the same again."

The Blue and Blacks currently look odds-on for a play-off place at the end of the campaign, but Van Zyl has refused to get excited yet, adding: "We all looking at the log and seeing where we are. That's part of the dynamics but we can't get too carried away."

Johan Ackermann meanwhile, has called for more precision from his side this week, claiming "Our accuracy was just not there," against Stormers.

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Cardiff are not the only side to benefit from a high-profile return tonight.

Bulls welcome back South Africa number eight Cameron Hanekom, who has been sidelined since tearing a hamstring in the URC semi-finals last May. The 23-year-old, who won his first Springboks cap against Wales in November 2024, is on the bench.

Head coach Johan Ackermann has also made changes to his starting XV following the tame display against Stormers, with Francois Klopper and Cobus Wiese both coming into the front five and Nizaam Carr replacing Jeandre Rudolph at number eight.

In the backline, Stedman Gans returns at inside centre and Cheswill Jooste gets the nod on the right wing – while Cardiff fans will need no introduction to outside-half Handre Pollard.

Just the 82 South African caps, 825 international points, and two Rugby World Cup wins for the Springbok legend.

Bulls: Kriel; Jooste, Moodie, Gans, Arendse; Pollard, Papier; Steenekamp, Grobbelaar, Klopper, Wiese, Nortje, Coetzee (capt), Louw, Carr. Replacements: van Staden, Wessels, Mchunu, Vermaak, Hanekom, Rudolph, de Wet, le Roux.

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Corniel van Zyl has named an unchanged side from the one that beat Leinster, but there is no shortage of star power returning to the bench.

Taulupe Faletau returns to the matchday squad for the first time since New Year's Day, when the 35-year-old suffered a calf injury while playing against Ospreys. The veteran number eight has featured in just five URC games this season having struggled with a knee injury before his latest injury blow. Six Nations forwards Sam Wainwright and James Botham will be sat alongside him after the latter impressed in that winning finale against the Azzurri.

Three other members of Steve Tandy's squad - Liam Belcher, Ben Thomas and Mason Grady - retain their places having previously been released for club duty for the Leinster clash.

Cardiff: Winnett; Grady, Millard, B Thomas, Beetham; Sheedy, A Davies; Barratt, Belcher (capt), Sebastian, McNally, Nott, Lawrence, D Thomas, Basham. Replacements: D Hughes, Southworth, Wainwright, Thornton, Botham, Faletau, Bevan, I Lloyd.

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Well hello United Rugby Championship, it has been a whileIn fact, it has been a full 21 days since Cardiff Rugby ground out a deserved 8-7 win over Leinster amid treacherous conditions at the Arms Park. So fair to say the weather, and the challenge, is a different one in Pretoria this evening.

Corniel van Zyl's side know that a win against the Bulls will take them second in the table, even if only for a few hours before Ulster host Connacht later tonight. The South African outfit have not had to wait as long between fixtures, but are out to bounce back from the 32-19 home defeat to Cape Town Stormers last Saturday.

Not that many in Wales would have noticed that result amid the euphoria and relief sparked by a long-awaited Six Nations win over Italy. Despite the continued off-field turmoil, can this new found feel-good factor in Welsh rugby now continue via the club game? With that in mind, let's look at the team news.