Senior players vital to promotion push says Thomas - The Worcester Observer

Senior players vital to promotion push says Thomas

Worcester Editorial 17th Dec, 2014 Updated: 19th Oct, 2016   0

FORMER Wales international Jonathan Thomas has backed the club’s more experienced players to play an “absolutely crucial” role in returning Worcester Warriors to the Aviva Premiership.

The 31-year-old was part of what was arguably the strongest 15 Worcester have fielded on Saturday as he lined up alongside full back Chris Pennell, skipper GJ Van Velze and hooker Agustin Creevy at Sixways.

Thomas admitted this season has been a “breath of fresh air” as he has seen a host of promising young players take their chances in the first team.

But he insisted that Warriors’ senior campaigners and international stars, including Creevy and Leonardo Senatore, who have just returned from representing Argentina in the Rugby Championship and autumn internationals, would be key to pushing his side on in the second half of the season.




“We often speak about the youth in the squad and that’s ultimately the future of the club,” he said. “But when talking about here and now and getting the club back in the Premiership you need to get that balance right.

“People like Creevy, Penns (Pennell) and Leo (Senatore) have had international experience and will be absolutely crucial for the development of the younger players and can also provide game management.”


Thomas also told The Observer the coaches at Warriors would start to pick a more consistent team which he believes will help his side’s performances.

“The coaches have been great in term of the opportunities they have given to the younger players,” he said.

“Sometimes when you play in the Premiership there is so much pressure on games that sometimes you tend to pick the same team week in week out, so the young players don’t always get the opportunities.

“We have seen the team change a lot this season, but the downside of that is that you don’t get consistent performances which you would get if we were playing the same team each week.

“So as the season moves on I am sure we’ll see more of a settled team and probably more consistency in our performances.”

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