Linwood captain keeping it cool

IT doesn’t get much bigger for a club rugby captain than Tepasu Thomas’s hit up against All Blacks captain Kieran Read yesterday in Christchurch.

Thomas, a 25-year-old from Manawatu, captains his Linwood club in the Canterbury metro premier competition.

So when it was announced Read was returning to his old University club for his first game since last year’s European tour, it would be very easy to get over zealous or even perhaps pull a ‘sickie’ come April 8.

Not Thomas. He wasn’t a bit bothered before the match and didn’t show any nerves. Whether he was playing it cool and being the ‘‘ice man’’ it was hard to tell.

‘‘I wouldn’t say it’s different, it’s really just the same because it’s the same build up. Obviously there’s a couple big players playing today but you can’t get too over excited for it, just got to keep everyone calm and stick to our game, really.’’

Well said, but I wondered if Thomas had been sleeping this week. He could be forgiven if this sort of event jolted him a little.

‘‘Nah, haven’t lost sleep. I have been excited for the last few nights because it is a big opportunity today. But just keeping calm, really.

‘‘I guess there will be a lot of people coming down today to watch the game and probably some rep coaches coming down, but I just can’t get too over excited and end up losing it a bit. Just got to keep calm and focus on my own game and keep the boys calm as well.’’

Thomas was going through his usual pre-match playlist on his headphones and while a few of his team-mates were having a run out on the field early on, Thomas relaxed in the clubrooms on the couch.

He certainly wasn’t undermining the event and has paid due respect to the All Blacks captain.

‘‘There’s a lot of respect there for him and I will show him a lot of respect out there, but I am probably going to have a good crack at him really. We both play No 8 so there will be times we have a bit of a clash.’’

‘‘I will try get a few good shots on him, but I guess he will giving it back.’’

When the match was finished Thomas was exhausted after a 60-11 loss for his Linwood side.

‘‘I got stuck into him a bit at the start. He was pretty good though, I was standing up and trying to give it back.

‘‘When there’s someone high profile like him you tend to have more of an eye on him and keeping a look on what he can do because he’s, well, an All Black captain, so you’ve kind of got to give him the respect and try not to give him too much ball.’’