Wednesday 27 August 2014 11:50, UK
Cardiff Blues captain Matthew Rees is delighted at the prospect of playing alongside fellow Wales front row Adam Jones in the Guinness Pro12 next season.
Jones joined Blues from Ospreys earlier this week bringing to an end 13 years with the west Wales region – and Rees is in no doubt Ospreys’ loss will be Blues’ gain.
“It’s great to have someone of his calibre come into the team,” the Wales hooker told Sky Sports News HQ.
“Hopefully he’ll be a great asset in terms of experience and also for the younger boys coming in – hopefully they can learn a lot off him.
“I think we’ve recruited well over the summer – obviously we’ve lost Leigh Halfpenny which is a big loss for us – but Josh Turnbull has come in from the Scarlets and two Kiwi guys have come in.
“We’ve definitely got a stronger squad than last year.”
Rees is also looking forward to getting back into action following a season that was severely disrupted after he was diagnosed with testicular cancer in October last year.
“It’s been a big 10 months since the diagnosis,” he added. “I’ve come through the treatment and played toward the end of the season.
“I’m really enthusiastic about the new season with all the new players coming in and being the captain and leading the team.
“Hopefully we can be more consistent than we were last year and win some silverware.”
