Thomas will lead the tour Test team for the second time in Brian O’ Driscoll’s absence and hopes to at least finish the eleven match excursion on a winning note. The Toulouse back, who scored the Lions’ first try in Saturday’s defeat at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington, has been feeling under the weather so far this week. However, the viral infection which has left him unable to train fully, is improving and Thomas expects to be fully fit come Saturday’s examination at Eden Park.
“Things are fine personally and I am looking forward to the game,” he said. “However, we need just a little bit more from ourselves if we are going to turn things around and finish on a high note. When I look back at last weekend, I don’t think we did that much wrong. We played well and challenged them all over the field.
“In the end, however, the best side won and we could have no complaints. This time we have to give a little bit more, maybe 5% or 10% and at the same time reduce the number of errors. If we do that, then who knows what might happen. To be honest that is not beyond us. I look around the room each day and I see players who are capable of making that small step in the rigth direction.”
Thomas has certainly found himself in the public gaze since taking over as captain and this week has certainly been no exception: “A lot of people come up to me and ask how we can beat them. It’s hard to say really, they are just a very good side who ave punished our errors. If we can cut out those mistakes, who knows?”
Having started the first Test on the wing and the second at outside centre, Thomas moves inside once again to take over from the injured Gavin Henson. His partner will be England’s Will Greenwood who has won the vote ahead of Gordon D’Arcy: “Looking forward to playing in the centre again, although to be honest it doesn’t worry me where I play.”
