The starting hooker for the summer tour win over Tonga, the 28-year-old then went off to join the British & Irish Lions in New Zealand along with team mates Gareth Davies, Cory Hill, Tomas Francis.
He has missed the opening three games of the new season, but Blues head coach Danny Wilson is ready to give him a run in Galway as his side seeks out that all important first win.
“Kristian will be involved this weekend and it’s great to see him back in rugby. We know what a great player he is in terms of what he did on the summer tour,” said Wilson.
“He has worked his way up in the pecking order and we have missed having the bulk of hookers to choose from.”
There is still no sign, though, of a return to playing action of Blues skipper, and Wales’ most capped player, Gethin Jenkins, with Wilson admitting the loose head great is still “a few weeks away”.
Following the glut of back row injuries suffering this season, which has seen openside flankers Ellis Jenkins, Sam Warburton and Jim Botham, Wilson at least had some good news on that front this week with the appearance on a short-term loan of Bristol back row man Olly Robinson.
