Taulupe Faletau: Cardiff hope Wales number eight will make start of URC

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 after knee and calf issues earlier in the campaign.

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 (19:45 BST).

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."

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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 at the start of July.

"We all know that he is a quality player and you just feel and sense when he is around that something special is going to happen, either from him or the guy next to him" said Van Zyl, whose side play a friendly at Worcester on Saturday.

"Still in training, every time he steps in, you feel the difference. He brings a lot and gives everybody confidence. He's a world-class athlete."

Faletau racked up the games with club and country when with Dragons between 2009 and 2016 but has since been plagued by injuries.

Van Zyl hopes that a summer off and full pre-season will help him thrive at Cardiff, where his game time will be managed thanks to the presence of Alun Lawrence and Taine Basham.

"I think for his body, it's been good," said the head coach. "His fitness levels are up there, it's the contact conditioning that he needs to top up now.

"In different years, he's had different injuries but he looks in a good place."

Faletau was named in Steve Tandy's first Wales squad 11 months ago, only to suffer a knee injury in his final appearance before the autumn internationals and was sidelined by a calf issue during the Six Nations.

He won the most recent of his 109 caps for his country against Japan in the summer of 2025 but remains a contender for next year's World Cup in Australia.

Aaron Wainwright started at number eight in nine of 12 Tests in 2025-26 with Olly Cracknell, Taine Plumtree and Morgan Morse also used.

But a fit Faletau - who played at the 2015, 2019 and 2023 tournaments - would give Tandy another quality and experienced performer on the biggest stage.

"I can't speak for his personal goals, but I'm pretty sure he will want to give it a go and represent Wales at another World Cup," said Van Zyl.