Cardiff's retiring Halfpenny set for final game in Wales
Leigh Halfpenny is set to make one final appearance in Wales after being named in the Cardiff squad for the crucial United Rugby Championship (URC) match against Stormers on Friday (19:45 BST). The former Wales and British and Irish Lions full-back has been named on the replacements bench for the regular-season finale at the Arms Park. Halfpenny, 37, has announced he will retire at the end of the season.
He is now set to get a chance to feature in one final home game after Cardiff suffered backline injuries to Wales duo Callum Sheedy and Josh Adams. Cardiff know victory against the South African side will guarantee a URC play-off spot. Cardiff are desperate to avoid history repeating itself, after they missed out on finishing in the top eight and reaching the play-offs last season by just one point to fellow Welsh side Scarlets.
The Arms Park side know a victory against Stormers this weekend will guarantee a top-half finish and erase the painful memories of a year ago. “It is always a discussion point, basically not recently so much, but especially in the beginning,” said Cardiff head coach Corniel van Zyl. “We think about going forward and collecting every point because at the end we know it will be close and that's exactly where we are this year.
“It was disappointing, but it's also another chance for us to keep it in our own hands. ” Cardiff faltered last season away from home, but will be able to clinch a play-off place by defeating Stormers at the Arms Park. The Blue and Blacks' home record has been impressive this season, having won nine of 10 games in the Welsh capital.
“It is massive because we know how the atmosphere looks like at Arms Park,” said Van Zyl. “There's not a lot of things more exciting than a Friday night in Cardiff and the crowd can have a massive influence on this game. ” Stormers are chasing a first win in Cardiff this Friday.