Harry Thacker says his week with the famous, fun-loving Barbarians which culminated in a 48-42 win over the World XV at a sun-drenched Twickenham on Sunday has left him ‘reinvigorated.’
Thacker has been a bright spot in a dark season for his club side Bristol Bears who finished ninth of 11 teams in the final Gallagher Premiership table. Amongst the missed opportunities and dropped points, Bristol put in two of the club’s best performances after six years under director of rugby Pat Lam, thrashing Northampton Saints and Harlequins on back-to-back weekends in March with some of the most entertaining, skillful and scintillating rugby imaginable.
But those occasions were too irregular and the Bears were unable to ride that wave of momentum into an end of the season run for the playoffs. However, in the early summer sun at Twickenham, hooker Thacker finished his campaign on a high as he was able to tick off a rugby dream on another day when it was all about playing fearless attacking rugby.
Speaking post-match, he told BristolLive: “It is an honour to wear this shirt, it is something you watch growing up. Especially with the way I like to play, I love it. To even be asked was a privilege and the whole week has just been class.”
The Barbarians side, which included Bristol captain Steven Luatua, scored eight tries, touching down through Adam Radwan, Tevita Li, Seta Tamanivalu (2), Stephan Lewis, Gareth Anscombe, Francois Hougaard and Sam Johnson while Bristol teammate Semi Radradra, who was joined in the World XV by Charles Piutau, starred to win the match of the match award. The World XV crossed the line through Sebastian Negri, Sbu Nkosi (2), Api Ratuniyarawa, Israel Folau and Bryn Hall.
Shedding more light on the experience, Thacker said: “We have probably spent 40 minutes training all week and some of the stuff on show is just natural talent - it is not prescribed. It is about looking at what is in front of you.
“It is a breath of fresh air, no regrets, everything is on and it is just about freedom and it is hard to get rugby like that in the league.
“It reminds of what it is like to play club rugby again. That love. It has reinvigorated me this week and given me that love of the game again.”
Thacker’s form this season and over the last couple of years should really have the uncapped hooker on England head Steve Borthwick’s radar as he is set to name his first Rugby World Cup training squad in the coming weeks, but the Bears frontrower insists he has had no communication indicating he will involved.
He said: “I have had nothing and to be honest a lot of hookers have had good seasons. I am not expecting anything.”
While Thacker is right about the form of English hookers, with Exeter Chiefs star Luke Cowan-Dickie set to miss the tournament with a nerve issue in his neck, there does appear to be an opening for a hooker to force their way in join Saracens’ Jamie George.
Bath’s Tom Dunn and Gloucester’s George McGuigan are two men who will be fighting for that opportunity, but Thacker has arguably had a better individual season than both West Country men. The jury is still out on whether Borthwick recognises the Bristol man’s rare set of talents and whether he will be back at Twickenham in August to showcase his skills in one of England’s four warm-up games this summer before flying out to France.
