The Blues currently lie second, just one point adrift of leaders Munster after a solid start to the campaign.
They have chalked up impressive wins over Edinburgh, Newport Gwent Dragons, Benetton Treviso and Connacht, with their only defeat coming at the hands of last year’s Grand Finalists Leinster.
Their early league position is a far cry from last year where at the same point of the season they had lost four out of five games.
But despite getting points on the board, Blues captain Paul Tito insists they must improve their form and go up several gears.
“We have been solid rather than spectacular”, said Tito.
“The performance last week was disappointing but we still came away with four points. It’s the sign of a maturing team.
“Last year we didn’t get off to great start. This year we haven’t performed consistently but we have won and we are in a lot better position.
“We’ve managed to win without playing great. We have been solid and it puts us in good stead in our push for the play-offs.”
“I think the tournament has really come on. Obviously Connacht and the Italians are doing well.
“The Scarlets were the fourth team in Wales last year but look at them now; they are playing some fantastic rugby. They lost to the Ospreys last weekend but it was a game between two quality outfits.
“Everyone has raised their game this season and if you’re in that top four at the end of the year then you’ve done pretty well.”
Next up for Tito’s men is the Heineken Cup visit of Edinburgh to the Cardiff City Stadium.
The Blues came out 34-23 winners in the Magners League opener five weeks ago but Tito believes it will be a closer affair this time around and that the scoreline in the previous encounter had flattered his team.
Despite that loss, Edinburgh have enjoyed a substantial amount of success against the Blues in recent years, winning won four of the last five games. And with a challenging group ahead of them, Tito believes that reversing that statistic and getting off to a bright European start is crucial.
“It’s a massive game in a very tight pool,” added Tito.
“All teams are quite even and anyone could win it. There isn’t really a stand-out team like Toulouse or Munster – we are very even. Home games will be crucial and Saturday will be a massive test.
“We are expecting the same as when we faced them in the Magners League: a good offloading game as they like to play the ball.
“They are always a challenge. They have a good lineout and put a lot of push on us in the scrum.
“But we will also be trying to do that to them. The set-piece is crucial these days, especially with the new laws. Once you have the ball you can look after it.
“We are under no illusions of how difficult it’s going to be, they are a quality team and will be coming here to win. They have done that before.
“But we’re always confident at the Blues and have to front up.”
