Cardiff remains hopeful that Taulupe Faletau, the Wales number eight, will be fit to start the 2026-27 United Rugby Championship (URC). The 35-year-old veteran suffered a season-ending shoulder injury while playing against Sharks in March, limiting him to just seven appearances last season due to previous knee and calf issues.

Currently, Faletau has been participating in pre-season training and is set to increase his involvement as the team prepares for their URC opener against Scarlets on Saturday, 26 September (19:45 BST). Head coach Corniel van Zyl expressed optimism, stating, "Even though he can't do contact, he can still run, so fitness-wise he's in a good space." He further noted the plan to integrate Faletau into more contact drills as he approaches full match readiness.

Since signing with Cardiff in 2022, Faletau has only appeared 30 times for the club, but he secured a one-year contract extension at the beginning of July. Van Zyl highlighted Faletau's significant impact on the team, saying, "You just feel and sense when he is around that something special is going to happen."

Faletau's injury history has been troubling, especially after a productive stint with Dragons from 2009 to 2016. However, Van Zyl believes that a summer off and a full pre-season can help him thrive at Cardiff. The coach emphasized that while Faletau's fitness levels are promising, he still needs to work on contact conditioning.

Faletau last represented Wales in the summer of 2025 against Japan, adding to his tally of 109 caps. With the World Cup in Australia on the horizon, a fit Faletau could provide invaluable experience and quality to the squad, as noted by Van Zyl, who believes the player will strive to represent Wales once again on the world stage.