Cardiff are mixing it with the heavy-hitters in the United Rugby Championship (URC), but face a festive period that will shape their season.

Scarlets visit the Arms Park on Friday night (19:45 GMT), Dragons are entertained on 26 December (15:00 GMT) then it is Ospreys away in Bridgend on New Year’s Day (17:30 GMT).

A healthy points haul would put the URC’s surprise package in a very strong position.

The Blue and Blacks suffered disruption on the eve of the 2025-26 campaign when it was confirmed head coach Matt Sherratt had left to lead Wales’ attack.

Assistant Corniel Van Zyl has stepped up and, despite not being given the official title of interim head coach, has guided Cardiff to second in the table.

They also edged out Ulster in the European Challenge Cup last weekend to ensure they will go into the January fixtures with hopes of the last 16.

Cardiff have won all four games at the Arms Park, left Munster with a pair of bonus points and beat Zebre in Parma.

Their Challenge Cup opener at Stade Francais, when a heavily rotated squad led at half-time, but then were overpowered, is the only pointless game so far.

Cardiff play all three Welsh rivals in the space of 14 days as they look to keep the feelgood factor.

West Wales voices have toasted victory in the last four meetings between the sides in the capital and it is 2019 since Cardiff last won against Scarlets at the Arms Park.

Van Zyl’s squad have made a point of raising that record in the build up.

“That’s a bit of a burning issue in the camp. We really want to go out there and right those losses,” said Wales loose-head prop Danny Southworth.

Dragons will arrive fuelled by the desire to end an embarrassing 20-game losing streak that stretches back to the 2015 Challenge Cup quarter-final.

The game at Brewery Field will take place amid growing Ospreys anger over the threat to their future.

Cardiff are currently owned by the Welsh Rugby Union and there has been talk of their plan to cut to three professional clubs being helped by Ospreys owners Y11 Sport & Media taking over in the capital.

Cardiff have started exceptionally yet the fact they remain 100-1 outsiders for the URC title with a leading bookmaker – beneath all four Irish provinces, Glasgow, Bulls, Stormers and Sharks – shows where they are at.

The received wisdom is that the Welsh capital club need to get points on the board for trickier times ahead.

They travel to Ulster without their Wales contingent before the Six Nations and host champions Leinster during the championship. In March there is a South Africa double-header to face Bulls and Sharks.

Last season Cardiff were looking good for the play-offs and Champions Cup qualification when they beat Munster in an Arms Park cracker with two rounds to go.

However, they ended on South African soil and were pipped to eighth place by Scarlets by a single point.

Cardiff ended with 47 points from 18 fixtures (average 2.6) last season and are currently on 25 from 6 (average 4.2).

History suggests they need to double that tally – in the four campaigns of the URC the eighth-placed finisher has amassed 48 twice and 50 twice.

It would be progress if Cardiff qualify for the play-offs, but they might even be able to set their sights higher if the next three games go to plan.

Last season Glasgow finished in fourth on 59 points to earn a home quarter-final.

“We are in a great position in the league and we are targeting this block – it’s huge for us and could cement us in second after these three games,” said Cardiff scrum-half Aled Davies.

“That would be important towards finishing in the top eight, but in derbies form goes out of the window and we will have to do the nitty gritty bits while also showing our quality.

“The next few weeks are massive for us. We are talking about the top eight, but we could be talking about the top four.

“It’s in our hands and we can definitely win three games. It would be great to have a home knockout game here with a full house, but we have to take it week by week and do what we do.”

A first win against the Scarlets in front of the Arms Park faithful since before the Covid pandemic would certainly be a good start.