Lock giant Lou Reed is determined to put a difficult season firmly behind him as he nears a playing return.
Wales international Reed has been out of action since suffering a toe injury in the RaboDirect PRO12 clash with Benetton Treviso in November.
However, the 26-year-old, who has made 31 appearances for the region, is now close to his comeback and can hardly wait to pull the jersey back on.
“It has been pretty frustrating being on the sidelines,” he said. “I have had enough of watching and just looking forward to getting back on the field.
“I’m back training now and it’s about doing a job the rest of this season and beyond.
“I’m looking forward to playing a big part at the Blues as we strive to achieve the big targets and ambitions we have set for ourselves.
“I have been very lucky with the coaching staff and the medics who have looked after me. They have been first rate and I can’t thank them enough because it has been a bad season for me and probably the worst I have had,” admitted Reed, who this week signed a new deal at Blues.
“I had ankle surgery last summer and I had four weeks back and then had another toe injury which has set me back a few more months.
“I dislocated my big toe and snapped all the ligaments. I was laid up for two weeks and not able to put any weight on it all.
“Everything I need to do in rugby like lineout, scrummaging and landing after restarts is taken away from you.
“You have to start conditioning your leg again so it has been gradual rehabilitation since then and a long road.
“I have been lucky in some respects because I have had Bradley Davies who was injured two weeks after me. So I have been able to do some rehabilitation not on my own.”