Jonathan Thomas
Jonathan Thomas made his debut in the back row against Australia on Wales’s summer tour of 2003. He sealed his emergence with an impressive Rugby World Cup later that year, most notably against the All Blacks. He scored his debut try against Italy in the 2005 RBS Six Nations campaign.
Versatile enough to play anywhere in the back five of the scrum, Thomas has previous Welsh honours at U16, U19 and U21 levels. He began his club career at Swansea and now plays in the back row alongside compatriot Ryan Jones for the Ospreys. Thomas was a regular feature in the Ospreys' Magners League title-winning side during the 2006–2007 season, putting in 23 appearances during the course of the year.
Thomas was used sparingly during the 2006 RBS Six Nations campaign and was rested for the Argentina tour in the summer of the same year. However, he was named in Gareth Jenkins's squad for the 2006 Invesco Perpetual Series and played in every game of the four Test series, scoring a brace of tries against Canada in the impressive Welsh victory.
Thomas was used as a replacement in all matches, bar the opening clash with Ireland, of the 2007 RBS Six Nations. He was named in Gareth Jenkins's squad for the tour to Australia in May 2007 and starred in both Tests. In June he was included in Wales's 41-man Rugby World Cup 2007 summer training squad and made the final RWC squad of 30 in August; he also played in the two Invesco Perpetual Summer Series matches against the Pumas and Les Bleus.
Thomas played in two of Wales's Pool B matches at the Rugby World Cup, the tournament opener against Canada and the defeat on home soil by Australia, though Thomas did notch a try for his country in the latter tie. In November 2007 Thomas was selected by Caretaker Coach Nigel Davies in the starting XV to face South Africa in the Prince William Cup match at the Millennium Stadium.
Thomas was one of the stalwarts of Warren Gatland's RBS Six Nations 2008 Grand Slam winning side; he started in every one of the five victories in the successful campaign.
