By Nick Wood
LEEDS Tykes wing Andre Snyman is hoping to add to his string of moral victories over Kiwi legend Jonah Lomu when the two go head to head at Headingley Carnegie tomorrow (1pm).
It is the 31-year-old South African's first outing in club rugby against the 19-stone man mountain, but Snyman holds the advantage when the two have rubbed shoulders on the international scene.
Five times he has come up against Lomu, and on each occasion the 30-year-old former All Black has failed to register on the scoresheet.
Snyman said: "I have a pretty good record against him and I hope it continues tomorrow. I've played against him on probably five occasions now at international level and he's never scored a try against South Africa, but this will be a completely different game."
Snyman is aware of Lomu's threat as the Tykes aim to improve their chances of a Heineken Cup quarter-final place following European Rugby Cup's decision to award them five points from their twice-postponed clash with Calvisano last week. Another five-point haul tomorrow can put them into the last eight of the competition and Snyman added: "It's up to us to counter anything he throws at us.
"We've been playing well lately but he's a big, strong player who can do us a lot of damage if he gets the chance. They will look to exploit his strengths and we've got to look to be strong in the face of that."
Cardiff are hoping to extend Lomu's contract beyond the summer and Snyman is full of praise for a player who still harbours hopes of a recall to his national side before the next World Cup.
Buoyant
"He's done remarkably well after being plagued by illness and injury," he said. "He's had operations and has bounced back to get in peak condition again, but Cardiff aren't just a one-man side and we have to be aware of that."
Tykes were beaten 40-13 in Wales in their first Heineken Cup clash back in October but have improved since then and a successful outcome from the Calvisano debacle has left them in buoyant mood ahead of tomorrow's crunch clash.
Snyman added: "We just have to concentrate on our own game and strengths and see where it takes us.
"We know the threat Lomu is and we know we mustn't give him space to build up speed. If we do, he has the weight advantage to cause us a lot of problems."
Tykes' director of rugby Phil Davies makes six changes to the side that was due to play Calvisano last week.
Justin Marshall returns at scrum-half for Danny Care, while Tom Biggs will start on the left wing as Chris Bell reverts to the centre to replace Chris Jones who is ruled out with a knee injury.
In the forwards, Stuart Hooper returns to captain the team so Scott Morgan reverts to the back row alongside Richard Parks and Nathan Thomas.
The only other change sees Mike Shelley return to the starting line for the first time since breaking his leg against Sale in October.
Cardiff's side shows one change from that which lost to Perpignan, Chris Czekaj coming in on the wing in place of Craig Morgan.
Blues coach David Young has also ruled out Welsh international outside half Nicky Robinson who is still nursing a shoulder injury.
Samoan international Roger Warren has also picked up a wrist injury and this means the Blues will go into their 'must-win' clash with only one recognised goal-kicker in Nick Macleod.
Young said: "There is still plenty for us to play for. It was a very disappointed dressing room after the game against Perpignan."
TYKES: De Marigny, Snyman, Vickerman, Bell, Biggs, Ross, Marshall, Shelley, Bulloch, Kerr, Hooper (c), Palmer, Morgan, Parks, Thomas. Replacements: Gerber, Rawlinson, Hyde, Dunbar, Care, Reid, Doherty.
CARDIFF: Williams (c), Czekaj, Robinson, Stcherbina, Lomu, Macleod, Phillips, Rush, Williams, Powell, Sidoli, D Jones, M Jones, Thomas, Jenkins. Replacements: Yapp, Goodfield, Quinnell, Sowden-Taylor, Powell, Thomas, Davies.