Hallam Amos: Cardiff Blues wing relishes prospect of Arms Park return

Cardiff Arms Park provided a staff welfare centre, catering facilities and headquarters for the field hospital at the Principality Stadium

Cardiff Blues wing Hallam Amos is relishing the prospect of playing home matches on the Arms Park's artificial pitch after winning on a similar surface at Newcastle.

Blues beat the Falcons 33-20 in the opening match of the European Challenge Cup on Friday.

The capital side have been playing at Newport's Rodney Parade because of Covid-19 but are set to return to the Arms Park in January.

"I can't wait," Amos said.

"With the boys we've got we like to play a quick game with Tom and Lloyd Williams (at scrum-half) and Jarrod Evans at 10, the game we play suits (artificial) surfaces like this.

"Rodney Parade has been brilliant and the groundstaff do a fantastic job but it'll be great to get back into Cardiff."

Blues vacated the Arms Park because it became part of the Principality Stadium field hospital complex.

The Cardiff and Vale University Health Board have decommissioned the site, but the ground is not yet ready for use because of damage to the pitch surface.

Blues will be at Rodney Parade for their European match against Stade Francais on Sunday, 20 December but expect to be back home next month.

Stade Francais crashed to a 44-20 defeat at home to Benetton and have often failed to reproduce their domestic form in Europe.

"I played against Stade in one of my favourite games for the Dragons (scoring in their win in Paris in 2014). We did the double over them so hopefully we can have a repeat of that," Amos told BBC Sport Wales.

"It'll be interesting to see what kind of side they bring if they've lost their first one but we'll play what's put in front of us."

Amos has been continuing his medical studies during the pandemic.

"I've been on GP (work), it's been strange with a lot of PPE and a lot of telephone consultations but to be fair the frontline medics are doing a fantastic job," he added.

"I'm not helping as such, but it's good to be in there and seeing what the real people we should be looking up to in today's world are doing."

Blues hope to have wing Josh Adams and flanker James Botham available against Stade Francais after minor knocks on Wales duty, as well as Owen Lane (ankle).

Flanker Josh Navidi is set to return during the Pro14 derby season after suffering concussion in September, ruling him out of Wales's autumn campaign.