Newport second row Nick Thomas made his Dragons debut off the bench in their EPCR Challenge Cup pool win over Newcastle Falcons as he took another significant step up the professional rugby ladder.
With 10 caps already to his name at Under 20 level, he will be looking to add to that tally in the New Year and his mounting experience in SRC will no doubt have benefited him greatly.
“Playing for Newport has been really good. Getting minutes and being around the boys has been great – it’s a good tight team,” said 19-year-old Thomas.
“There are some top pros in there, like Josh Skinner and Ben Roach, who help you out physicality
wise. Once you’re in a pack with them it’s pretty easy going forward.
wise. Once you’re in a pack with them it’s pretty easy going forward.
“I’ve also had great help from Rynard Landman. I didn’t get to play much with him, but he knows so much about the dark arts.”
As well as featuring four times for third place Newport in SRC, Thomas also played in the two Dragons A games in November.
“They were a great help and adapting to the speed of those A games really helped going into my debut in Newcastle,” added Thomas.
“It’s a bit faster than the SRC and then obviously the Challenge Cup felt a bit faster than that. Just coming on to make my Dragons debut was amazing.”
Wales U20 duties are beginning to take hold, and so Thomas isn’t featuring in the classic Cardiff v Newport derby at the Arms Park tomorrow. The two arch-rivals will also meet again at Newport Stadium on Saturday 28 December.
Cardiff have led the way for much of the season but having let a 17-0 lead slip at Eugene Cross Park last weekend, where they were beaten 32-20 by Ebbw Vale, means they have slipped to second. Ty Morris’ side have a game in hand over the Blue & Blacks and could overtake them with
a big win at the Arms Park.
a big win at the Arms Park.
Newport struggled to beat winless Swansea 33-28 last weekend but go into the game seeking a fourth straight win. Fit again George Young returns to second row duty and Jac Lloyd takes over at No 10 with Matt O’Brien named among the replacements.
Today’s action sees table-topping Ebbw Vale head to Pontypool Park to kick-off the back-to-back derby matches. They will have Wales U20 wing Harry Rees-Weldon back in their side after he missed the win over Cardiff while on international duty.
Last season Jason Strange’s side went to Pontypool and lost and The Steelmen won’t want a repeat of that result. Pooler haven’t lost at home since the opening day of the season when they were beaten 21-18 by Llandovery.
Since then, they have overturned RGC (32-20), Newport (17-14) and Bridgend (58-25) to move up into fifth place in the table.
Llandovery, in fourth, will host Carmarthen Quins on their new artificial surface at Church Bank. The Quins are boosted up front with the inclusion of Scarlets back row duo Ben Williams and Carwyn Tuipulotu.
Aberavon host Swansea and Bridgend welcome RGC, who have parted company with Sam Earl-Jones.