Young Gun: Dan Thomas – Gloucester flanker

Former Wales U20 captain Dan Thomas hopes to be involved in the LV=Cup with Gloucester in three weeks and, with an A-League hat-trick against Leicester on Monday, he made sure he gave his rugby director David Humphreys food for thought.
The Welsh flanker, 21 yesterday, has impressed after joining from the Scarlets last summer and was a stand-out in the Premiership Sevens as the Cherry and Whites lifted the trophy while his recent displays with the United side also caught the eye.
Monday’s hat-trick meant he completed a fine month with five tries in as many games and, with Sione Kalamafoni, Matt Kvesic and Ben Morgan on international duty next month, Thomas is in line for his first team debut against Exeter on November 1 when the Anglo-Welsh competition kicks-off.
“The Premiership Sevens was great for me to get a run out and put my hand up,” he told The Rugby Paper. “It gave me the chance to show what I could do quickly and luckily I was picked in the A-League.
“I got a good run of games with the second team and scoring three tries at Kingsholm against Leicester was great. We’ve got a break now with the LV=Cup starting next month so hopefully I can get involved with the first team. I’ve just got to keep working at training and take my chances should I get picked.
“I’ve settled well. I live in the city centre with some of the boys and the facilities here are great so it’s been a good experience.”
Rugby was engrained in Thomas’ family and at seven he joined his first club, Carmarthen Athletic. He then moved to Kidwelly before being picked up by the Scarlets academy aged 15 and Welsh honours at U16s and U18s level followed as well as a professional contract with the Welsh region.
In 2013, Thomas was part of the Welsh team that reached the Junior World Cup final against England but his rise stalled at club level so, seeking more game time, he decided to join his former coach Nigel Davies at Gloucester on a two-year deal.
Leaving Wales and the family farm was not easy but the prospect of professional rugby was an opportunity he could no turn down.
He said: “Playing the JWC final with Wales was a great adventure but unfortunately it didn’t end how we wanted which (Gloucester’s backs coach) Nick Walshe, who was coaching England at the time, keeps reminding me about.
“It was an honour to play for the Scarlets but unfortunately it didn’t work out how I wanted so I decided to move and the opportunity to join Gloucester arose.
“The plan was to play for Nigel when I signed but again that changed. It made the move harder but I just had to get stuck in and try to impress David and the other new coaches every time I had the chance.
“It was a big move for me leaving the family farm.
My father, grand-father and uncles all worked on this farm so it is fair to say that I’d probably be a farmer if rugby didn’t work out.
“But joining Gloucester was a big opportunity for me, one I couldn’t really turn down. I’m sure the farm will still be there once I retire.”