Newsflash!

A team takes a simple three points - I thought that was long out of fashion.

Callum Sheedy lands the simple penalty and the hosts are ahead.

Huge scrum from the Cardiff pack wins a penalty, but they play the advantage and clever chip from Ben Thomas evades Paolo Odogwu.

However, no one can gather the bouncing ball and we go back for the penalty.

Alex Cuthbert
Former Wales winger on BBC Radio Wales

The speed of ball is so fast from Cardiff. You can see what they're trying to do, they're trying to beat Benetton on the edges.

Callum Sheedy botches a cross-field kick but mercifully, it falls into the hands of Josh Adams.

Cardiff work the phases and then Sheedy tries the aerial route again - and it pays off as Andy Uren knocks on in his own territory under pretty much zero pressure.

File that under 'ground to swallow me up' moments.

Alex Cuthbert
Former Wales winger on BBC Radio Wales

That's a knock on. That's a great stop from Odogwu, I think he's punched it. The offload took McNally by surprise.

A raking grubber kick from Harri Millard has the Benetton cover defence scrambling and Nicolas Roger Farias can only clear to just outside his 22.

Another chance for the hosts from here but from the lineout, the ball goes loose in midfield.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Oh Josh!

Now it's Cardiff on the attack and Josh McNally looks destined to go over the line under the posts. However, he spills the ball at the crucial moment and the chance goes begging.

We have a token TMO review but you could tell by his face there. He knew.

Great line speed from Cardiff.

Benetton go through numerous phases but get nowhere as the home side defend solidly.

Eventually the Italians run out of ideas and after a big hit from Josh Adams, it's a Cardiff penalty.

Rhyno Smith looks to utilise the conditions straight away with a good old fashioned up-and-under but Callum Sheedy is equal to the task.

He takes a clean catch, as well as a big hit for his troubles, but retains the ball and Cardiff can clear.

Nicolas Roger Farias gets us under way on an inevitably wet night here in the capital.

So from a Welsh point of view this weekend, so far Dragons have gone down to an agonising loss in Munster, Ospreys have played out an enthralling draw with Lions, and Scarlets have notched a dramatic last-gasp win over Ulster.

So then Cardiff, no pressure to entertain...

We're almost ready for the off here in Cardiff.

Conditions could well play a part tonight.

Alex Cuthbert
Former Wales winger on BBC Radio Wales

I'm looking forward to good game tonight. We've got two teams who like to score a lot of points.

Speaking to Amazon Prime, former Wales centre Tom Shanklin said:

"I've not spoken to anyone who thinks this is a good idea (cutting the number of Welsh sides),

"Going from four to three is not the answer, it's a quick fix. We need four teams to give a pathway to players."

Benetton full-back Franco Smith has urged the visitors to front up physically in order to get a win in Wales tonight.

"It's always difficult to go and play in Wales," he said.

"Cardiff are a strong team and when they play at home they are even more dangerous. It will be a match in which, if we bring the same intensity and physicality brought to the pitch against Lyon and the Dragons, we can do well.

"To go and win the game in Wales, we will have to be more physically dominant than them."

Away from Welsh rugby politics, there was an interesting admission from Cardiff lock Josh McNally this week, who has conceded his side got ahead of themselves in the URC before being derailed by home loss to Scarlets and defeat to Ospreys on New Year's Day.

Between those games there was a narrow derby win over Dragons, but McNally admitted: "I think we started to look at the table a little bit.

"Around those derby fixtures we took our focus off the game by game thing. We've had a really good refocus after the derbies and we have two huge games now then a bit of a break. We'll just keep competing every week and see where it gets us."

Coach Van Zyl has appeared wary his team have just three more league matches here after tonight, adding: "We know we don't have a lot of home games left so we need to make sure we get the energy levels right, the intent right and ultimately to make the families and supporters proud."

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

It's not just tonight's game that Josh McNally has been vocal about it this week.

Fans of Cardiff and Ospreys have been united in their criticism of the WRU, and the Cardiff lock, one of his side's two representatives on the committee of the Welsh Rugby Players Association (WRPA), has hit out at the lack of dialogue.

After attending a WRPA meeting on Wednesday, he said: "At the moment there is no certainty coming from any powers that be.

"I've been on the WRPA calls and I've spoken to the Ospreys boys, they're not getting much information which is probably the worst part about it. They want to know what direction the club is going in, where the next step is. We'll support them as best we can and I'll keep fighting that fight with the WRPA."

Image source, Getty Images

The last time Benetton faced a Welsh side, it was that 74-21 mauling of Dragons a fortnight ago.

They followed that up with a win in Lyon, but head coach Calum MacRae has also opted for sweeping changes tonight. Former Bristol number nine Andy Uren again leads the side but fly-half Jacob Umaga is ruled out, meaning a debut for newcomer Nicolas Roger Farias.

Elsewhere, Ignacio Mendy returns on the wing with Tommaso Menoncello and Leonardo Martin reunited in the centre.

In the pack, the entire front row is changed as Destiny Aminu, Tonga hooker Siua Maile and Tiziano Pasquali come in. In the back row, Italy star Manuel Zuliani returns at openside flanker and Lorenzo Cannone switches to number eight.

Benetton: Smith; Mendy, Menoncello, Marin, Odogwu; Farias, Uren (capt); Aminu, Maile, Pasquali, Marini, Ruzza, Favretto, Zuliani, Cannone.

Replacements: Bernasconi, Spagnolo, Gallorini, Scrafton, Fa'aso'o, Kingi, Garbisi, Drago.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Corniel van Zyl clearly opted to rest key players for last Sunday's Sandy Park debacle and sure enough, only Josh McNally, James Botham and Jacob Beetham retain their places in the starting XV.

Seven Cardiff players were named in Wales' squad for the Six Nations this week and they all feature tonight, although Mason Grady will start on the bench.

Hooker Liam Belcher is back to lead side alongside Rhys Barratt and Keiron Assiratti in the front row. George Nott joins McNally in the boiler house, while Alex Mann, Botham and Alun Lawrence make up the back-row.

In the backline, Aled Davies and Callum Sheedy will combine at half-back. Ben Thomas and Harri Millard pair up in the centre while Josh Adams and Iwan Stephens return out wide alongside Beetham in the back-three.

Cardiff: Beetham; Adams, Millard, B Thomas, Stephens; Sheedy, Davies; Barratt, Liam Belcher (capt), Assiratti, McNally, Nott, Mann, Botham, Lawrence.

Replacements: E Lloyd, Domachowski, Sebastian, Thornton, D Thomas, Mulder, I Lloyd, Grady.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Welcome to Cardiff and the culmination of what has been a tempestuous week in Welsh rugby.

By now, you won't need reminding that Y11 Sports and Media were selected as the WRU's chosen bidder to purchase Cardiff Rugby. While the development has sparked derision among Ospreys fans, now fearing their team will soon cease to exist, events have hardly been greeted joyfully in the capital either. The bidding process, coupled by the lack of transparency, has left players and supporters from all sides angry.

But on the field, Corniel van Zyl's side have an opportunity tonight to bounce back from last week's feeble European defeat in Exeter. They now lie fifth in the table, and victory over Benetton will guarantee a return to the top four.

The visitors meanwhile, kick-off in 10th and need a result themselves to boost their hopes of a top eight finish. These sides have met twice in the past two seasons, with the Italians winning both contests by a single point so on that basis, we could be in for an enthralling contest.

It's unlikely to be a free flowing one mind, with the tail-end of Storm Ingrid making for tough conditions here at the Arms Park.

So let's look at the team news, and there's plenty of it.