Lloyd at 10 as Cardiff aim to build on home comforts

Ioan Lloyd has seven caps for Wales

United Rugby Championship: Cardiff v Edinburgh

Venue: Cardiff Arms Park Date: Saturday, 25 October Kick off: 19:45 BST

Coverage: Live on S4C and BBC iPlayer

Cardiff host Edinburgh in their third home game of the first block of United Rugby Championship matches, with head coach Corniel van Zyl acknowledging the "dynamics might change" when they encounter more away games later in the season.

The Blue and Blacks have been able to celebrate three home triumphs and a Welsh derby win at Dragons in round four as well as two losing bonus points in defeat at Munster.

That saw them briefly top of the table after winning at Rodney Parade - and now fourth going into Saturday's Arms Park encounter.

"The dynamics might change later in the season, where we will have more away games," said Van Zyl, who has named Ioan Lloyd at fly-half for his first start since joining from Scarlets in the summer.

"So it's all about getting the crowd really involved in a game, fighting for the jersey, and then ultimately get points back home."

Wales squad returnee Callum Sheedy drops to the bench amid six starting changes for the hosts with Johan Mulder back to start at scrum-half.

Another Wales call-up, Jacob Beetham, switches from wing to full-back after Cameron Winnett was ruled out with a groin injury, with Van Zyl resisting the temptation to bring in veteran Leigh Halfpenny to plug the gap.

Danny Southworth can celebrate his Wales call up for their autumn Tests at loose-head, with Scotland's Javan Sebastian hoping to impress on the other side of the scrum against the side he left in the summer to join Cardiff.

The other Cardiff change sees Taine Basham take over from Dan Thomas at open-side flanker to make up an all-Wales back row alongside Alex Mann and Taulupe Faletau.

Sheedy and Aled Davies are Cardiff's only backs replacements on a 6-2 bench split.

Edinburgh are without injured Scotland wings Duhan van der Merwe and Darcy Graham, but recall lock Marshall Sykes in a team led by flanker Magnus Bradbury, who Gregor Townsend has brought in from the international wilderness for Scotland's autumn campaign.

Winnett blow

Winnett's groin injury could keep him out until the festive derbies, denying him the chance to make his mark for Wales in the autumn internationals.

After an injury-plagued 2024-25, Beetham meanwhile has been given a chance to add to his single cap won against South Africa last autumn.

Beetham has risen through the ranks as a full-back, but has also been touted as a fly-half or centre option, factors Wales coach Steve Tandy may well have considered when naming the 24-year-old in his first squad.

Line-ups

Cardiff: Beetham; Adams, Millard, B Thomas, Bowen; Lloyd, Mulder; Southworth, Belcher (capt), Sebastian, McNally, Nott, Mann, Basham, Faletau.

Replacements: Hughes, Domachowski, Assiratti, Donnell, Lawrence, D Thomas, Davies, Sheedy.

Edinburgh: Goosen; McCann, O'Conor, Lang, Wells; Scott, Shiel; Schoeman, Ashman, Rae, Sykes, Gilchrist, McConnell, Richardson, Bradbury (capt).

Replacements: Harrison, Venter, Hill, Hunter-Hill, Crosbie, Vellacott, Thompson, Davidson.

Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU)

Assistant referees: Craig Evans (WRU), Carwyn Sion (WRU)

TMO: Colin Stanley (IRFU)