Wales prop Henry Thomas ready for 'Judgement Day' as Scarlets battle Dragons at Principality Stadium

04/10/2025 05:34 AM

Veteran prop Henry Thomas is gearing up for a landmark occasion in his rugby career as he prepares to feature in his first ever Judgement Day, with Scarlets set to face Dragons RFC at the Principality Stadium on Saturday, April 19.

The 33-year-old tighthead has already experienced the unique honour of representing two countries—England and Wales—at international level, and has played across three top-flight leagues. Now, he's set to sample Welsh rugby's showpiece double-header for the first time.

Reflecting on the importance of the match and the spectacle itself, Thomas was quick to highlight its significance.

"For us, it's looking like a must-win with the way our season has panned out," he said. "Everyone knows that going to South Africa for the final two rounds is going to be tough and points will be difficult to come by. So all the Welsh regions, including ourselves, are scrambling for every point we can get."

The former Sale and Bath man, who earned seven England caps before switching allegiance to Wales under World Rugby's revised eligibility rules, joined Scarlets last summer after stints in France with Montpellier and Castres. He now has seven more caps to his name—this time wearing the red of Wales.

While Judgement Day will be a new experience, it's one that carries some familiar notes.

"For two or three years, when I was at Bath, we had The Clash at Twickenham," Thomas recalled. "It wasn't a double header, but it was kind of similar, around Easter time. It was against either Leicester or Bristol, teams with big fan bases that were likely to travel. You used to get crowds of about 60,000 for it."

He believes the Judgement Day format has real merit.

"To put all four teams in the same stadium makes massive sense," he said. "I haven't been live, but I've watched it on TV and it's something the boys talk about as being a massive occasion. It's always towards the end of the season, so the weather is usually nice and it's gearing up towards the business end of the campaign."

With Scarlets chasing a place in the BKT URC Play-Offs, the stakes are high—and Thomas is under no illusions about the threat posed by bottom-placed Dragons.

"They are probably not as bad as the results have shown and I know they will be frustrated they've lost a fair amount of close games. So, it's definitely no easy match," he said. "They have got plenty of internationals, plenty of quality players, so it will be a really exciting game. In a way, for them, it's pressure off. They will want to go out there and perform, excite their fans and get something out of it. For us, it's really important as we are fighting for every point to hopefully make the top eight. So it feels like there is a lot riding on it."

Thomas, who has previously played at the Principality for Wales—including the recent Six Nations clash with Ireland—is eager for another opportunity in front of a packed crowd.

"Even if you have played 50 times for your country, it's still a special place to play," he said. "There will be a lot of people there and we are going to be heavily motivated by that, for sure. You are always buzzing about any opportunity you get to play in front of a big crowd, especially at a great stadium like that."

He also spoke of the added intensity that derby matches bring.

"There's definitely more on it when it comes to the derbies," he said. "Even in training, it steps up a gear. There's a fair amount of pressure coming from the players that have been there for a while about how much they want to get one over on the other team or certain individuals. It makes it exciting. You want to play for them and you also know how much it means to the supporters."

Since arriving in Llanelli, Thomas has quickly become a cornerstone of the Scarlets pack. Off the field, he and wife Josie are expecting their first child in July, while on it, he's found a fresh spark under head coach Dwayne Peel.

"I have really enjoyed it. They are a great group of guys," he said. "It helps that I've got a relationship with Dwayne Peel from our Sale days. We played together for four years there when he was the old fella and I was the young guy. That dynamic is nice and part of the reason I signed up for this project. The squad is fairly young, with quality players, and I think the experienced addition of myself, plus a few others, has really set these guys to do good things. I have loved it."

His form earned him a first Six Nations start for Wales against France, over a decade after his previous appearance in the tournament with England.

"It was a massive honour to be back playing in the Six Nations. It had been 11 years since my last appearance in it. That's a fairly large gap," he said. "The results were frustrating, so there were mixed feelings, but it's such an honour to wear the shirt and play for Wales. It's always great and to get that opportunity again was incredible."

With Wales undergoing a period of transition, Thomas remains optimistic.

"Winning and losing become habits. The more it doesn't happen, the more the win doesn't come, a bigger thing it becomes mentally," he said. "But I can see it turning round pretty soon. There is too much quality in Wales for it not to be the case. There is so much young talent here. It's just about stringing an 80 minute performance together and getting the monkey off the back in terms of a win."

And he's not done yet when it comes to international ambitions.

"I am not someone who is ever going to rule themselves out of being selected," he said. "I will keep prioritising the Scarlets, trying to play well and give them what they need, especially that set-piece stability and a bit of leadership. If Wales still want someone like me, then I am more than happy to be there and I wouldn't hesitate for sure."

For one proud Welshman in particular, Thomas' journey has already been a source of immense pride. His father, Nigel, was the one who first tried to guide him down the Welsh pathway.

"My dad is a proper Welshman and he always tried to push me through the Welsh system," he explained. "I did some trials at the Dragons when I was 14, 15, through the London Exiles programme. But then, when I was away at school at Millfield, it didn't really make sense and my dad reluctantly resigned himself to the fact I was within the English system and came and supported me regardless. He bit his tongue through an England-Wales game at Twickenham back in 2014."

That all changed in 2023, when Thomas was called into Warren Gatland's World Cup training squad and made his Wales debut against England at the Principality.

"I could see how much it meant to my dad, me playing for Wales, rather than England," he said. "He may not admit it, but you can see it on his face. He's there home and away."

Quotes provided by URC Media

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