Wales fly-half Gareth Anscombe believes Cardiff Blues will relish being underdogs in Sunday’s Heineken Champions Cup clash against Saracens.
The Blues face a huge test at Allianz Park, taking on a team unbeaten in 14 games in all competitions this season.
Even though Saracens are without the likes of England forwards Maro Itoje, George Kruis and Billy Vunipola, they will start as red-hot favourites to keep that sequence going.
And while Anscombe acknowledges how big a task the Blues face, he is ready to accept the challenge.
“It’s a big challenge for us as a team and we will have to be on our mettle,” he told the Blues’ official website.
“We know we are underdogs, and that’s fine by us.
“We can sit here and talk all day long about how good Saracens are – undefeated, a team full of England internationals and five or six Lions – but at the end of the day they are 15 men with two arms and two legs, and they have their off-days as well.
“We have talked about making sure we throw a few punches out there and aren’t afraid to have a good crack.
“If we play to our potential we are certainly capable of getting a result, and that is the belief we have within the group.”
Anscombe lines up in a back division that sees fly-half Jarrod Evans moved to inside centre, with scrum-half Tomos Williams and flanker Ellis Jenkins among the Blues’ absentees.
Blues head coach John Mulvihill added: “We are right in the mix in Pool Three, and these back-to-back matches against Saracens will be decisive.
“We have to rise to the occasion, and we have already demonstrated we can step up in Europe with a great win in Lyon.
“Saracens are at the top of their game at the moment, so we are well aware of what is coming at us on Sunday.”
Leicester head to Paris in Pool Four on Sunday, where group leaders Racing 92 await them.
The Tigers have lost their last six Premiership and Premiership Cup games, and are without a win since beating Champions Cup opponents the Scarlets on October 19.
Australia internationals Matt Toomua and Tatafu Polota-Nau return to the starting XV, while Ben White features at scrum-half instead of England number nine Ben Youngs and centre Kyle Eastmond is out due to suspension.
