THOMAS HAS STAKED A BIG CLAIM - BOOTH
WALES prop Gareth Thomas has been compared to English rugby stars Ellis Genge and Mako Vunipola. The 28-year-old loose-head has found himself on the fringe of the Wales squad over the last year or so after impressive outings in the Ospreys jersey.
And he was at his best during the region’s 25-10 defeat to Racing 92 in the Champions Cup on Saturday.
Though the Ospreys were on the wrong side of the scoreline, a real positive was the tenacity with which they defended and their scrum dominance.
A key figure throughout was Thomas who, along with fellow Wales prop Tomas Francis on the other side, got the upper hand at the scrum, earning a number of penalties.
So far he has five caps to his name but Pivac is clearly interested and he has now drawn comparisons to established Test campaigners from England.
Ospreys boss Toby Booth said after Saturday’s loss: “I came in as a fresh face and I didn’t know anybody. There was an opportunity for people to stake a claim.
“When I started working with him, it was obvious to me that – he’ll hate me for saying this – he reminds me a lot of English loose-heads.
“People like Beno Obano, who I’ve worked with before, Ellis Genge, Mako Vunipola – they’re dynamic players and they bring a change of pace.
“He’s (Thomas) got that because he wants to compete.
“Nicky Smith went on and was a destructive scrummager, got two turnovers at the breakdown and they bring the best out of each other.
“Those loose-head positions have a massive influence on the game.”
Another to impress despite the defeat was young hooker Dewi Lake, who has only recently returned from a long-term ankle injury.
The former Wales Under-20s skipper has long been viewed as a player with bags of potential, particularly in the loose, but the line-out work remains a concern.
It remained a worry at the Swansea.com Stadium and one overthrow led to a decisive Racing try.
But Booth will continue to back the 22-year-old, who started out as a back-rower.
“A hooker is judged primarily around his set-piece, as always, and that’s always a journey, especially for a convert,” said the Ospreys boss.
“I invested a lot of time, put him out there a lot last year before he got injured, which is fantastic.
“That’s his basics, his bread and butter.
“But the big thing for him is the collision, he wants to win every moment he’s in, he’s a competitor.
“He carries the ball, he’s got on the front foot and he creates defensive pressure in the breakdown. Those two are very attractive attributes to have as a tight-five forward.
“Gareth Thomas has a very similar attitude. Those modern players are about competing at every opportunity they get.”
Star-studded Racing 92 proved too strong for the Ospreys as the French giants secured victory.
The visitors opened the scoring when Maxime Machenaud clipped over a simple penalty.
Booth’s side responded when Keiran Williams barged his way over from close range. Gareth Anscombe converted. The Ospreys extended their lead through the boot of Anscombe just past the half-hour mark.
But Racing wing Teddy Thomas set up a brilliant score for Juan Imhoff.
Racing delivered a sucker punch when Gael Fickou made a surging break before linking with Virimi Vakatawa, who ran a lovely support line that cut back towards the posts to score. Replacement Antoine Gibert converted.
Finn Russell knocked over a penalty from halfway line, extending the lead to eight.
A wide pass then gave Thomas a one-on-one with Luke Morgan and the Welshman was swatted aside as Racing sealed their win.