Lloyd Williams insists securing victory against Toyota Cheetahs is at the front of his mind, as he prepares to make his 200th Cardiff Blues appearances on Saturday.
The scrum half will become only the second player to hit the milestone for Wales’ Capital Region, following in the footsteps of Taufa’ao Filise, who finished his career with 255 appearances.
Williams says achieving the milestone at his home region is a proud moment for him and his family, and is desperate to mark the special occasion with a win.
“It’s big for me and my family and is something I’ve worked hard towards,” said the Welsh international.
“I’m sure it will be something really nice to look back on when the season is over and in the years to come, but obviously right now we’ve got a game to win and that’s at the forefront of my mind now.
“I was desperate to play one game for the Blues, and once that happened I got a taste of it and wanted so much more.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity that the Blues gave me at the club and I’m conscious to never take it for granted.
“It’s a great milestone for me and one that I’m going to hold close to me for the rest of my career and after that.
“I didn’t expect it, but the lads in the squad has made quite a fuss of it, and made it a real special week for me.
“I’ve enjoyed the video messages that were shown, some which were funny and some a bit more sincere.
“It would be nice to finish the week off on a high and win the match on the weekend.”
Williams will skipper his side at the Arms Park against the Bloemfontein-based outfit.
The Welsh international insists his side are well aware of Cheetahs' strengths, but says they must concentrate on their own game as they look to change their fortunes this season.
The scrum half added: "It’s great to lead such a good bunch of lads out and hopefully I can lead from the front.
"I hope we perform and can come away with that result that we all desperately want.
"We’re up against a good team and we’ll have to play well to be in with a chance towards the end of the match.
"We’re looking to stamp our authority on the game early on and hopefully that will get us kick started for the rest of the game.
"It’s important that we look back at ourselves more than our opposition. We’re aware that Cheetahs are a good team but we’re conscious that we haven’t given the best account of ourselves.
"We haven’t been the best version of ourselves so it’s been a case of looking back at that and try to rectify a few problems. Hopefully we can do that and put the practice into the game this weekend.
"First and foremost we want to win at home in front of our own fans. It would be a huge lift around the place.
"We’ve worked really hard over pre-season and probably haven’t seen the benefits of that yet.
"We’d like to perform, which is the biggest thing for us, and if we do that, then hopefully result will take care of itself."
Cardiff Blues stalwart Lloyd Williams will celebrate his 200th appearance for his home region as free-flowing South African outfit, Toyota Cheetahs, visit Cardiff Arms Park on Saturday. Show your support for the boys in this crucial Guinness PRO14 encounter - tickets available NOW!