Tomas Francis, the 71-cap Wales tighthead who has been first choice for Warren Gatland in both his incarnations as Wales coach, shares many characteristics with his new rival, Henry Thomas. The most obvious is that Francis is much better qualified to play for England than he is for Wales.
Like Thomas, he is 31, and was born in England, in York. Francis went to school and university in Yorkshire, and played club rugby in the county for Malton and Norton RFC, before signing for Doncaster in 2012. He then spent most of his Wales career playing for Exeter (2014-2021), before joining the Ospreys....