Cardiff are hopeful that Wales number eight Taulupe Faletau will be fit for the start of the 2026-27 United Rugby Championship (URC). The 35-year-old suffered a season-ending shoulder injury at Sharks in March and was limited to just seven appearances in the past campaign due to knee and calf issues.

Faletau has featured in pre-season training and will soon step up his comeback in the build-up to the URC opener against Scarlets on Saturday, 26 September. Head coach Corniel van Zyl said: "Even though he can't do contact, he can still run so fitness-wise he's in a good space. We will integrate him into a bit more contact and then see when he's ready to go for full matches."

Former Dragons and Bath forward Faletau has played only 30 times for Cardiff since signing in 2022, but a one-year contract extension was announced in July. Van Zyl added: "We all know that he is a quality player... He brings a lot and gives everybody confidence. He's a world-class athlete."

Faletau has been plagued by injuries since his Dragons days, but Van Zyl hopes a summer off and full pre-season will help him thrive. His game time will be managed thanks to Alun Lawrence and Taine Basham. Faletau won the most recent of his 109 caps against Japan in 2025 and remains a contender for the World Cup in Australia.