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'Go to a Top 14 game and they are all baying for blood'- Henry Thomas
By Simon Thomas
Having now completed a hat-trick of leagues, Henry Thomas is ideally placed to compare the contrasting competitions.
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He spent eleven seasons in the English Premiership with Sale and Bath, before embarking on a three-year stint in the French Top 14 with Montpellier and Castres.
Now he’s getting his first taste of the BKT URC having joined the Scarlets over the summer.
“I would say it’s probably more similar to the Premiership,” said the London-born prop.
“It’s not very similar to the Top 14, which is so set-piece based.
“There is so much focus on that over there. There are a lot of massive blokes in every team and you have some real turgid games.
“You can have some exciting, loose games, but it’s always full of massive blokes running really hard.
“In the BKT URC, it’s a lot more skill, a lot more attacking shape and defensive organisation. You’ve really got to start breaking teams down with good rugby rather than just banging the door down with forwards and strike runners. I am really enjoying it in the BKT URC.”
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Tighthead Thomas, who turns 33 later this month, says there’s a particular mindset around the scrum in the Top 14.
“Teams can hang everything on it. With the scrum in France, you see how tribal it is and how important it is.
“The crowd love it too. In the UK, crowds can get a bit frustrated with scrum time, but go to a Top 14 game and they are all baying for blood, which I loved.
“There are two packs of eight that have probably got one or two guys over 150 kilos. It’s different. It’s definitely heavier and takes a lot more out of your legs. If you show a weakness at scrum-time in the Top 14, then teams will come and exploit you.”
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While Thomas is enjoying the contrasting environment in the BKT URC, he still places great store by his set-piece bread and butter.
“My scrummaging is an area of strength, something I have spent a lot of time on,” he said.
“The scrum is an area of the game that will always be important in rugby. You still win and lose games on the back of it.
“Whenever you play rugby, the set-piece is still massively important.
“The scrum is one of my strengths, that’s what I am good at. I want to bring that to this squad here and let the other guys do the exciting stuff! It’s about giving them the ball to go and do it.”
That formula worked well in the Scarlets’ 25-19 victory over Cardiff Rugby at the Arms Park last Saturday, when Thomas had a strong game up front and the men behind ran in the tries.
His move to the west Wales region has seen him re-united with a former team-mate in the shape of head coach Dwayne Peel.
“I had played with him for three or four years at Sale and he’s someone I have got a lot of respect for, as a team-mate and someone I have spoken to throughout the years,” said Thomas.
“The way he sold me the club, what they were trying to do and their vision, I came out of that meeting positive and excited about this place.
“I have settled in pretty quickly and I am feeling good. There is a great group here. I definitely feel like an elder statesman with the amount of young talent!”
Having won seven caps for England around a decade ago, Thomas has now embarked on a second international career with Wales, who he qualifies for through his Swansea-born father under new eligibility rules.
“The World Cup was brilliant last year. The boys put in so much work and we had a good campaign and were probably kicking ourselves not to win the quarter-final against Argentina,” he said.
“I was pretty gutted to miss out on the South Africa game and the tour of Australia this summer through injury.
“I would always love the opportunity to play for Wales whenever it comes.
“I wouldn’t say it was the reason why I came to the Scarlets. For me, it was more about the place, the project and the people here.
“But, of course, you always have your eye set on something higher, to play at that top level.
“If I get a chance to go again, that would be great, but it really does start here with the Scarlets.”
And next up for the Welsh region is Friday night’s clash with URC high-fliers the Vodacom Bulls in Llanelli.
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