Cardiff plan to face Toulouse in Champions Cup despite being without 32 players

Rhys Priestland will be absent when Cardiff host Toulouse, but his Wales team-mate Ellis Jenkins will be available

Cardiff plan to play Champions Cup matches against Toulouse and Harlequins with a shadow squad as most of their players continue to quarantine.

Six people will stay in Cape Town after returning positive Covid-19 tests.

Cardiff are due to host reigning European champions Toulouse at the Arms Park on Saturday 11 December.

As the Welsh side will be without 32 players - and 16 members of staff - who will be quarantining for 10 days in England or South Africa, they intend to field a team comprised of academy players, reserves and Wales internationals who did not travel to South Africa.

Both Cardiff's scheduled United Rugby Championship matches in South Africa against the Emirates Lions and DHL Stormers were postponed but the club says it must still fulfil two Heineken Champions Cup encounters against Toulouse and English champions Harlequins.

A 10-day period of quarantine means those self-isolating will be able to play no part in the European fixtures.

There are six members of Wales' autumn squad who could be available after they remained in Cardiff while the rest of the squad travelled to South Africa.

They are Josh Adams, Willis Halaholo, Tomos Williams, Dillon Lewis, Seb Davies and Ellis Jenkins.

"Anyone from this trip will be ineligible to face Toulouse and Quins but we have got a number of internationals back home and we'll do everything in our power to honour these fixtures," said Cardiff director of rugby Dai Young.

"The team will be made up of the internationals who haven't come with us and some of our best academy players. I'm confident they will do the jersey proud but we need the Cardiff support to get right behind us.

"Gruff Rees will lead the team and he will be assisted by Thomas Rhys Thomas and Richie Rees, who remained in Cardiff to coach those not travelling.

"I know they and the boys will want to do it for the boys in quarantine, we will be watching from our rooms and it will be a real boost if we see a packed Arms Park.

"They will be supporting the boys, those of us in isolation and the club during what has been the most stressful and challenging period I have experienced as a director of rugby. I am confident those players will do the jersey proud."

The travelling party of 42 players and staff on the flight out of Cape Town on Thursday have all returned a negative PCR test prior to travelling to South Africa, two negative lateral flow tests and a further five consecutive PCR tests, all with negative results, in Cape Town.

Six individuals have returned positive results and have been transferred to a South African Covid-19 quarantine hotel.

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"Of course it has been difficult but people's safety and wellbeing is the most important thing and we'll be treated the same as everyone else," said Young.

"It's not ideal for professional sportspeople but it's par for the course. There are a lot of people experiencing similar, stuck 1,000s of miles from our loved ones and our thoughts are also with them.

"What sits really uncomfortably with me and the biggest thing that upsets me is going home and leaving people out here. As a director of rugby that's the biggest thing I'm struggling to cope with.

"If it was an injury one or two of us would definitely stay out here but we are not actually allowed to do that in these circumstances - that doesn't sit well.

"But they are in really good hands, the doctor is checking on them twice a day and all the medical things are in place if there were any issues, which there's not.

"Thankfully all the guys staying behind remain in good spirits and any symptoms they have are mild.

"They will support each other and the people with SARU [South African Rugby Union], who have been first class, we have total trust."