Leigh Halfpenny returns to action for the Blues this weekend © Getty Images

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Matches: Cardiff Blues 21 - 22 Edinburgh

Teams: Cardiff Blues | Edinburgh | Scotland | Wales

Cardiff Blues will play host to Edinburgh at the 26,500 all-seater Cardiff City Stadium in the hope of exacting some revenge for home and away defeats at the hands of the Scots last season.

The home side are unbeaten in their last three season-openers while Edinburgh have lost in round one for the last three seasons. But the Scotsmen are in the midst of their best ever League run with six straight victories and had a superb won 6, lost 2 record against the Welsh regions last season. They have also won four of their last five visits to Cardiff.

Blues boss Dai Young has named a strong side despite several high-profile injury absentees, with British & Irish Lions forwards Gethin Jenkins and Martyn Williams still recovering from shoulder surgery. After an abysmal run of pre-season games, Young will want the experienced Xavier Rush, Ben Blair, Gareth Thomas and skipper Paul Tito to power a strong start.

Summer signings Sam Norton-Knight and Gareth Cooper start at fly-half and scrum-half respectively, while there is also a debut in the front-row for former Welsh international prop Darren Morris. Leigh Halfpenny makes his competitive return after a thigh injury ended his Lions tour, with veteran Wales wing Dafydd James on the bench.

New Edinburgh coach Rob Moffat, who succeeded Scotland boss Andy Robinson in the role at the end of last season, has resisted the urge to thrust his Lions squad members back in to the fray. Scrum-half Mike Blair and hooker Ross Ford are absent from the matchday 22.

Netherlands-born wing Tim Visser will make his first start for the club after joining from Newcastle, completing the back-three alongside Mark Robertson and experienced fullback Chris Paterson. Phil Godman starts at fly-half, with Greig Laidlaw wearing No.9 in the absence of Blair.

Ally Hogg skippers the visitors from No.8, while up-front there are starts for Allan Jacobsen, Andrew Kelly and Geoff Cross.

"Last Friday's performance was very disappointing and the only thing I would say is, it's far better to have a poor performance in a friendly match than a league one, we didn't drop any points and nothing is won in August," said Young after the Blues were thrashed by Northampton in their final warm-up.

"From our point of view, our early form in the Magners League put us under a bit of pressure towards the end of the last campaign, so we have to make sure that we start well this year."

Cardiff Blues: Ben Blair; Leigh Halfpenny, Gareth Thomas, Dafydd Hewitt, Chris Czekaj; Sam Norton-Knight, Gareth Cooper; Darren Morris, Gareth Williams, Gary Powell, Bradley Davies, Paul Tito (capt), Maama Molitika, Robin Sowden-Taylor, Xavier Rush

Replacements: Taufa'ao Filise, T Rhys Thomas, Scott Morgan, Sam Warburton, Richie Rees, Ceri Sweeney, Dafydd James

Edinburgh: Chris Paterson; Mark Robertson, Ben Cairns, John Houston, Tim Visser; Phil Godman, Greig Laidlaw; Allan Jacobsen, Andrew Kelly, Geoff Cross, Craig Hamilton, Scott MacLeod, Alan MacDonald, Roddy Grant, Allister Hogg (capt)

Replacements: Sean Crombie, Kyle Traynor, Steve Turnbull, Fraser McKenzie, Ross Samson, David Blair, Nick De Luca