Thomas strives for Test breakthrough
DAN Thomas is determined to follow fellow Welsh Bears Callum Sheedy and Ioan Lloyd into Wayne Pivac’s Test squad after taking his game to another level under Pat Lam.
Flanker Thomas is a key figure for Bristol who have high hopes of adding this season’s Premiership title to last year’s European Challenge Cup success.
Thomas played for Wales U20 in the same side as the likes of Ellis Jenkins and Sam Davies, but is yet to win full Test honours despite his impressive performances in England.
“Any kid’s ambition is to play for their country, that would be a big thing for me,” Thomas said. “To do that I’ve got to play week in, week out for Bristol and produce quality performances.
“I’ve come through at Bristol with Callum and we’ve played nearly every game together. He and Ioan have been called up by Wales and Harry Randall for England.
“They’ve got their rewards and it’s well deserved. When I came to Bristol it wasn’t far off a last-chance saloon for me as it was my third club.
“I’m happy with how things have progressed, but I can only get better from here and I have ambitions I want to reach. At the moment I’m heading in the right direction, but I can’t rest on that and need to get better each week because I owe Bristol a lot.”
Unwanted by the Scarlets, Thomas has found a home at Bristol via a stint at Gloucester. He joined Bristol while in the Championship but has excelled in the Premiership and is still only 27.
Despite playing his club rugby outside Wales, he remains available for Tests as he is uncapped and left for England without a contract offer in his homeland.
“Wayne and Pat, are good friends and if there are things he Challenge Cup showed wants me to work on then what we are capable of. he’ll feed that to Pat. That’s “In fairness to Pat he’s for them to discuss,” said basically come in and Thomas, who spends his taken over the whole club! days off on his family’s The academy, the attack, farm in west Wales. the forwards, the defence – “On most of my days off they are all under his I’ll head back to the farm. banner. He’s changed my Life after rugby for me is game completely. going to be back on the “He’s given us a system farm and pulling four teets to play within and the every day. That’s system suits me and us as something I’m looking a team. Pat is massive on forward to. us going away and working “It’s a good on individual skill work. lifestyle and it’s nice He tells us to sharpen our to have something tools. to switch off from “We’ve got world-class rugby. Each season players like Semi Pat tells us our aim Radradra and Charles is to win a Piutau, but we’ve also got trophy. Last an environment where season’s there are no egos. We’re win in looking forward to the rest the of the season.”