The Ospreys back-rower has been tipped to fill the No8 jersey, in the absence of Ryan Jones, and is hoping to be the man that gets Wales over the gain-line.
The 27-year-old has lined-up across the back-row and second-row in recent years but has enjoyed playing at No8 since a law change enforced the defending side to line up five metres from the scrum.
“I’m seeing it as a big opportunity,” said Thomas.
“Ryan’s injured and there are other players out so, if I get selected, it will be a big chance.
“With the new law that defences have to be five metres off the base of the scrum, I’ve enjoyed attacking from the set-piece. It’s the quickest way through the gainline and I’ve enjoyed playing in that role.
“There’s no doubt the rule changes are better for the game and technically they should suit us given the way we play.
“In the northern hemisphere we haven’t taken to it quite as well as in the south. There are reasons for that, such as interpretations of referees in Europe, while games up here tend to be a bit more set-piece orientated and physical. So you don’t quite see the continuity in non-Test games.
“You’ve seen constant spectacles in the Tri-Nations. That’s what we have to strive towards in the north.
“The weather also dictates that sometimes you can’t always play the kind of game that the Tri-Nations sides have been playing. But we play under a roof at the Millennium Stadium, with international officials, so hopefully it will make for a good game.”
Tickets for all four Invesco Perpetual Tests against Australia, South Africa, Fiji and New Zealand are available in Thomas Cook and Going Places stores around Wales and the UK.
Tickets are also available online by clicking here by phoning 08442 777888 or by calling into the WRU’s cafe/store, The Cardiff Arms, 8 Westgate Street, Cardiff.
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