It doesn’t seem almost two decades ago since a 20-year-old Welsh forward ripped huge holes in the All Blacks defence during an unforgettable World Cup encounter in Sydney.
“The Wales No. 6 was something else,” said a member of New Zealand’s coaching team afterwards. The 6ft 5in, 17st 5lb Jonathan Thomas did indeed merit such a description, shocking the Kiwis with not only his energy back at the global tournament in 2003 but also with his tackle-busting power.
He has been out of Welsh rugby for close on a decade, having decamped to England to finish his playing career and start a new life as a coach. But he will come out of retirement as a player next month to feature in his old pal James Hook’s testimonial game.
