Former Dragons and Bath forward Faletau has played only 30 times for Cardiff since signing in 2022, but a one-year contract extension was announced at the start of July.
“We all know that he is a quality player and you just feel and sense when he is around that something special is going to happen, either from him or the guy next to him” said Van Zyl, whose side play a friendly at Worcester on Saturday.
“Still in training, every time he steps in, you feel the difference. He brings a lot and gives everybody confidence. He’s a world-class athlete.”
Faletau racked up the games with club and country when with Dragons between 2009 and 2016 but has since been plagued by injuries.
Van Zyl hopes that a summer off and full pre-season will help him thrive at Cardiff, where his game time will be managed thanks to the presence of Alun Lawrence and Taine Basham.
“I think for his body, it’s been good,” said the head coach. “His fitness levels are up there, it’s the contact conditioning that he needs to top up now.
“In different years, he’s had different injuries but he looks in a good place.”
Cardiff City have completed the signing of centre-half Krystian Bielik from Championship rivals West Bromwich Albion on a permanent deal.
Bielik has signed a three-year contract with the Bluebirds and joined for an undisclosed fee.
“I’m very excited, I’m finally here and I couldn’t be happier,” he told the club’s official website.
“I’m looking forward to starting with the team as soon as possible and focusing on the first game.”
The 28-year-old made 17 Championship appearances for the Baggies last season as they finished 21st, narrowly avoiding relegation to League One.
The experienced defender – who can also operate as a defensive midfielder – joined Arsenal from Legia Warsaw in 2015 and had spells with Birmingham City, Walsall, Charlton Athletic and Derby County prior to joining West Brom last summer.
Bielik is Cardiff’s fourth senior summer recruit following the arrivals of goalkeeper Nathan Trott, midfielder Jack Moylan and left-back Calum Scanlon, who has returned to the Welsh capital on loan from Liverpool.
“I’ve played a few times against Cardiff City, and it’s never been an easy place to come to,” Bielik added.
“It’s always got a great atmosphere, so it will be a pleasure to be here playing for this club.
“I’m ready, fit and healthy, and can’t wait to start with the team tomorrow and prepare for the big game on Saturday.”
Poland international Bielik is a welcome addition for the Bluebirds, who are currently without a fit central defender in their ranks.
Will Fish, Dylan Lawlor, Calum Chambers and Gabriel Osho are all currently injured, although the latter is thought to be close to a return to action.
The Bluebirds gave a debut to 15-year-old defender Noah Anyadike – who became the youngest player in EFL Cup history – during their 2-1 loss against Norwich City in the second round on Tuesday night.
Bielik is in contention to make his Cardiff debut when they host Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United on Saturday (15:00 BST).
Former historic coastal port Parrog beach, on the south side of the estuary, is now a popular spot for recreational boating.
The small sandy beach is close to the town’s galleries and independent craft shops that the area is renowned for.
History buffs should explore the remains of Iron Age forts and cairns, plus Pentre Ifan, one of the most significant Neolithic monuments in Wales.
HIDDEN GEM
Steeped in history, The Sailors’ Safety at Pwllgwaelod Beach on the Pembrokeshire coast is an old smugglers’ pub dating back to 1593.
The menu highlights the best of local Pembrokeshire seafood with a focus on foraged ingredients from the local shores and hedgerows.
Dine in the cosy restaurant or relax with a drink in the bar while soaking up centuries of maritime history.
The city has some very cosy pubsCredit: AlamyThe Pembrokeshire coastline is one of the UK’s most beautifulCredit: Alamy
BEST VIEW
Ancient volcano Carningli, also known as the Hill of the Angels, rewards walkers for the half-hour climb to the 1,138ft summit with stunning 360-degree views.
On a clear day it’s possible to see over the Pembrokeshire coastline and even towards the Wicklow Mountains in Ireland.
RATED RESTAURANT
At the heart of Newport, the Golden Lion has been serving drinks to travellers since the 1600s.
It is now a cosy pub with an extensive menu making the most of the local fare including Welsh beef and freshly caught local seafood.
The historic atmosphere and quality ingredients make it a favourite with both locals and visitors.
BEST BAR
Whether a keen golfer or not, The Cat Rock Cafe is the place for sundowners and stunning coastal views.
Located at the 18-hole Newport Links Golf Club, designed by pro golfer and course architect James Braid, it’s a three-minute walk from Newport Sands.
COTTAGE PICK
Set on Main Street, in the heart of the bustling town, Welford House sleeps six and features a stunning Mediterranean-style paved courtyard.
A seven-night stay starts at £680.
For something more rural, Ty Top is a delightful two-bedroom end-of-terrace stone cottage set on an ancient track beneath Carningli mountain.
A seven-night stay starts at £535. See coastalcottages.co.uk.
Phil Parkinson bemoaned his team’s lack of ruthlessness – and the amount of stoppage time at the end of the game – after a 98th-minute equaliser denied Wrexham a Welsh derby victory at Cardiff City.
Parkinson’s side were on course to begin the new Championship campaign with a hard-fought win after Kieffer Moore’s third-minute goal at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Wrexham missed chances to extend their lead – and twice hit the woodwork – on a night when they carried greater threat than their hosts only to be denied a win when Rubin Colwill smashed in a free-kick in the last act of the game.
“We’ve had chances to kill the game off. We haven’t taken them, the keeper’s made saves, but we haven’t really made him make a top-class save,” Parkinson said.
“We knew we could give Cardiff problems and time and time again. We did and really in the cold light of day, the game should have been out of sight, but it wasn’t.”
While Parkinson suggested his side could have managed the closing minutes of the game better, there was frustration over the timing of Cardiff’s goal.
The fourth official’s board showed six minutes of added time, with George Dobson fouling Joel Colwill in the last of those minutes before Rubin Colwill seized the chance to equalise.
“I’m not quite sure where they got six minutes from – I’m looking forward to asking [the officials about] that,” Parkinson said.
“However, giving cheap free-kicks away at this level, you can get punished and that’s what cost us tonight.
“All we had to do was stay calm in that moment and we’d be talking about three points.”
The worldwide buzz is far from the norm, and certainly a far cry from the most recent league meeting between the duo on 22 March, 2002 – when goals from Scott Young, Peter Thorne and Danny Gabbidon earned the Bluebirds a 3-2 victory over the Red Dragons.
Just shy of 16,000 supporters were at Ninian Park on that occasion, and nearly double that amount will be in attendance at Cardiff City Stadium this time around, such is the anticipation for the fixture.
The game will also be beamed to fans around the world, particularly in North America where Wrexham have become a household name, thanks largely to the success of their Welcome to Wrexham documentary.
But current Cardiff head coach Barry-Murphy has zero interest in the fanfare brought to the party by the likes of Wrexham’s Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac.
Barry-Murphy’s focus lies solely on satisfying the demands of those wearing blue in the Welsh capital, along with those of the club’s Malaysian owner Vincent Tan.
“The people in North America aren’t relevant to me,” said the Irishman.
“With all due respect, the people of Cardiff are the only ones that matter to us.
“And obviously the people in Malaysia are your boss, so we’re trying to impress him always and play for the supporters.”
Wrexham’s growth, however, has been nigh-on impossible to ignore.
Denis Smith – Wrexham boss for that 3-2 loss in the Welsh capital more than two decades ago – says having a team of the Red Dragons’ stature in the north of the country is vital.
“I understand the feeling for football in and around that area,” the 78-year-old said on BBC Radio Wales Sport.
“I had a great time there. I was there for five years. While I was there, we won things and got promotion, but we also had the problems.
“I was daft enough to go on the board so it cost me a lot of money, but it’s a great football club.
“The area wants football, Wales needs a club of Wrexham’s size in north Wales.”
After two seasons together at the bottom level, Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham were reunited – this time in the third tier – for a couple of seasons in the mid-1990s.
And now, after more than three decades, they are together again.
“Three Welsh teams in the Championship… it’s enormous for the country,” said Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson.
“There’s a mini-league going on [in Wales].”
Wrexham came out on top last season, finishing four places above Swansea in 11th.
Bookmakers make Parkinson’s men favourites to finish as Wales’ top club once more, with the Red Dragons tipped to push for a play-off place, Swansea in the middle of the pack and Cardiff among those with the longest promotion odds in the division.
Brian Barry-Murphy reckons his team are capable of surprising the doubters – though the Cardiff head coach brushed off questions about the fight to be Welsh football’s leading club before Monday’s mouthwatering curtain-raiser against Wrexham.
“We just want to do really well this season and try to get off to a good start on Monday,” he said.
Barry-Murphy was then reminded that when he took charge last summer, he described Cardiff as the biggest club in Wales.
“Cardiff feels like the biggest club in the world to me,” he said in response.
“When I’m here the energy from the supporters is incredible.
“Hopefully on Monday you’ll see an atmosphere that befits the stadium and the club and we’ll try to do our part by producing a performance that gives us a chance to win.”
Asked what would constitute a successful season for his side, Barry-Murphy said: “We don’t know. I think one of the beauties of this season is that, for a lot of us, we’re going into the unknown.
“Our feeling is that we can surprise a lot of people. We have a real hunger and appetite to improve on what we did last season.”
Barry-Murphy is preparing for a blockbuster start to the campaign, with Welsh rivals Wrexham at the Cardiff City Stadium for a south-north derby on 17 August.
The former Manchester City academy coach says he is unsure whether any more new signings will be completed ahead of Wrexham’s visit, with Lincoln City midfielder Jack Moylan still the only outfield player recruited by Cardiff this summer.
“I don’t think so,” said Barry-Murphy when asked if Cardiff were close to a new signing.
“If you start anticipating timings or what may or may not happen, you just waste a lot of your time and your energy.
“Our focus is purely on the game on Monday and making sure that anything that could or maybe would distract us, doesn’t.”
Barry-Murphy said injured Wales forward Rubin Colwill could return for Wrexham’s visit, but fellow international Dylan Lawlor is unlikely to be fit to face the Red Dragons.
