It came as a bit of a surprise to some when Cardiff Rugby’s Ben Thomas was selected at fly-half for Wales in the summer tour of Australia.

The utility back had spent most of his club career at inside centre – often a second playmaker – with brief sojourns at fullback and fly-half.

However, there were some clues as to his future at international level: his first cap for Wales was as a replacement fly-half, coming on for his now-teammate Callum Sheedy in a 68-12 victory over Canada.

The three years between his first cap and his first start during last summer’s tour of Australia had seen Thomas nail down his importance to Cardiff as a second playmaker.

Initially swapping between the 12 and 15 jerseys with the likes of Jarrod Evans and Rhys Priestland inside him, Thomas hit career best form last season at inside centre next to Tinus de Beer.

However, with Wales struggling in the wake of Dan Biggar’s retirement and a long-term injury to Gareth Anscombe, Thomas was selected for Australia as a fly-half, with Sam Costelow the only other stand-off selected.

New Territory

Thomas had only played fly-half once in the previous season – an excellent display in a 14-36 away victory against South African outfit Sharks. Head coach Warren Gatland backed his man, and Thomas started both tests and left Australia with a 100% record from the tee.

Thomas, a young man still making his way in the game, was buzzing just go on tour for Wales, let alone start both games with the 10 jersey.

“I’d never played in Australia before,” he says.

“It was amazing, one hell of a place.”

And playing fly-half at test level?

“You don’t really have the time to second guess yourself because by then the opportunity is gone,” Thomas explains.

“It is almost a case of ‘if you see something, back yourself to go for it’ because I’ve been picked for a reason and that is because the coaches believe in me.

“You definitely have less time playing international rugby, but I suppose that’s the same for all positions, not just fly-half.

“I think the key is managing the game. That was the hardest part. If you cough up the ball in your own half then nine times out of 10, you end up deep in your 22 defending under the posts.”

Getting Used To Test Rugby

That speed of play has been the undoing of many a young player, but Thomas looked assured during those two matches, picking the right time to kick, pass, or run expertly.

“Matches are a lot quicker, especially in the backfield,” Thomas, 25, adds.

“You might see some space and then it’s gone within seconds. You might feel like you can keep playing for a bit, then all of a sudden, you have put your team under the pump.”

It has helped Thomas that he has the backing of Gatland. Before the autumn internationals this month, the Wales head coach was effusive in his praise of the 25-year-old, describing him as “the best back in Wales”.

“It was definitely nice to hear,” Thomas says with a grin.

“The boys made me well aware of what he said, giving me a bit of stick. I’m sure you can imagine what they were saying.

“It’s always nice to hear compliments like that, especially from your national coach. For me, it’s all about replicating those performances for Cardiff on a test level now.”

Leaving Opponents Blue and Black

Those performances for Cardiff have been largely excellent, Thomas has levelled up his defensive game while maintaining an attacking presence that Blue and Blacks fans have become accustomed to in recent seasons.

Two bonus point wins to kick off the season against Zebre and Scarlets have made way for three defeats in October, but the performances have pleased head coach Matt ‘Jockey’ Sherratt.

“It’s frustrating because those games have come down to individual errors from us and a few lapses in concentration,” Thomas reflects.

“Generally speaking, Jockey has been pretty happy, praising us for how we got stuck into games.”

Thomas is a part of a young contingent of the Welsh squad that have had meteoric rises in the last 18 months or so: Cam Winnett, Alex Mann, Mackenzie Martin, Ellis Bevan, and Mason Grady have all played international rugby after just a season of club rugby for Cardiff, with Gatland putting his faith in the Cardiff youth.

This young squad was backed to the hilt by Sherratt last season, but Cardiff’s results last season belied their performances: 10 of 13 defeats last season were by seven points or less.

“I think that’s probably a point that was missed a bit in the public perception of us as a team last season,” Thomas says.

“We did have a young squad, but those boys were all playing because they deserved to be.

“It’s been amazing to see those boys kick on like they have. You look at the way Cam [Winnett] is playing for example. Each of us have gone up another level again this season.

“The fact that these boys have got a full season of pro rugby under their belts will stand us in even better stead for this season and I think you can see the maturity and the performances coming through already.”

Levelling Up

Cardiff added some experience to their young core ahead of the season, with the likes of Dan Thomas and Josh McNally bringing steel to the pack and halfbacks Aled Davies and Callum Sheedy running games with Thomas.

“Callum and Aled are so calm on the ball, it can be kind of scary at times how good they are under pressure,” Thomas adds.

“Dan and Josh have helped us massively on both sides of the ball. They’ve had a massive impact. Coming off a season where we probably had some young boys who were thrust into the limelight a bit earlier than expected, for them to now learn from some experienced pros like Josh and Dan has been huge.”

Players do not come much more experienced than Thomas’ centre partner Rey Lee-lo.

The Samoan international will be 39 by the time the current season has finished and is still playing at the same level that he was playing at when he joined Cardiff almost a decade ago.

“I’d love to still be playing when I’m 39 but I’m not sure that body will hold up like Rey’s has,” Thomas says.

“Rey is as good as it gets as an outside centre. Defensively, he’s the best in the league.

“We always have to say in the week that he’s probably the best that we will ever come up against. He can get a bit frustrating in training to be honest!

“That’s probably the biggest compliment I can give him. For the best part of 10 years now, Rey has been one of the best, if not the best, centre in the league.”

Adding Experience

Looking forward to this month’s internationals, Gatland has hinted at the possibility of Thomas moving back to inside centre, especially with the return of Gareth Anscombe.

Tomos Williams is also back after missing the summer tests, meaning Wales could line-up with an almost entirely Cardiff past and present back line. Max Llewellyn, who left Cardiff for Gloucester two seasons ago, is also back after impressing at outside centre.

“I watched the game where Max got his hattrick [against Leicester Tigers] and he was on fire,” Thomas says.

“He’s had a brilliant season, and it will be great to have him back next to me in midfield, if possible. We played a lot of rugby growing up so it would be cool to play international rugby together.

“Having players of the standard of Tommy and Gareth back is going to be massive, both in-game and setting standards during the week. Having that experience around a pretty young squad will be invaluable.”

Familiar Foes

That young squad is now gearing up for matches against Fiji, Australia, and South Africa this autumn. With Fiji first, Wales have a great chance to record a first test win of the year, having only beaten Queensland Reds in 2024.

“We’re only looking at the Fiji game right now,” Thomas explains.

“It’s a great opportunity to get a good start and a win on the board. The momentum we get from that will be massive for us.

“We would be lying if the Australia game didn’t have that element of getting a bit of revenge on the summer’s matches. We are two teams that know each other’s styles very well, so it’ll be a good contest.

“South Africa are two-time world champs for a reason, and they’ve got such a good squad with great depth. But what better way for a young squad to test themselves against the current world champs? The boys are chomping at the bit to get into that game.”

And for Thomas himself, potentially running out at the Principality Stadium as a Wales starter will be a first for him.

“Playing for Wales anywhere in the world is a special thing to do, but to get to do it at home, and be able to have my family there watching, that is something I am itching to do,” Thomas says with a smile.

“Fingers crossed I get that opportunity this month, I’m really looking forward to it now.”

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