Abergavenny players celebrate the Bowl victory against Oakdae with the trophy
ON THIS DAY: Abergavenny claim Bowl honours
A year on from a first national trophy for both Abergavenny and Brecon, we caught up with the two former internationals in charge of the clubs’ victorious coaching teams. Despite having played on the highest stage of the international game, Nathan Thomas and Andy Powell are now lending their experience and expertise to another level of the game – and finding huge satisfaction in the process. Both also played alongside and in Andy’s case coached with Matthew Watkins and have taken the opportunity to pay tribute to their great friend who tragically passed away last month. In the first of our two-part series looking back to last year’s WRU National Finals day, we hear from former Wales back row Nathan Thomas.
A beaming Nathan Thomas is all smiles as Abergavenny celebrate victory
Nathan Thomas has no regrets about stepping in to help his adopted town and even rates last year’s cup run alongside winning the Heineken Cup with Bath!
The Abergavenny co-coach and former Scarlets, Bath and Wales back row made headlines a year ago after coming out of retirement 21 years on from lifting the Heineken Cup with Bath – to help his side reach the coveted National Finals Day at Principality Stadium – and to lead from the front in a very memorable final against fellow Gwent side Oakdale.
It was a day he shared with his former teammate Watkins who led Brecon to the Plate win with Powell and Thomas was quick to remember his close friend.
“Matthew’s infectious personality spread across the whole country having played domestically in Wales and for Gloucester too.
Nathan Thomas was great friends with Matthew Watkins on and off the pitch
“I was playing in England when he first burst onto the scene in Wales but Gareth Cooper who was playing with me at Bath talked about Matthew, how he was such a great player but also a top bloke and quality person to have around the team.
“I then met him when we both played at Scarlets. Sometimes we shared lifts and as mentioned at the funeral, Iestyn Thomas and I invariably waited for him at his home or meeting places as he was always late – probably doing his hair!
“Joking aside, we became very good friends and everyone was devastated we couldn’t attend his funeral. The news of his cancer was so devastating for him and the whole family but he dealt with his it with such strength and just got on with life with huge zest.”
Looking back at the Bowl win and his own involvement in the side who were consequently promoted into Specsavers Division Two East, Thomas said.
“I’ve lived around Abergavenny almost 15 years, I’ve really got a good feel for the town and as my middle boy started playing for the club’s mini section, I got to know the passionate people involved and the chairman Huw Beavan who’s a local butcher and farmer.
“They are people I could connect to, so it was very easy to say yes and give something back to the club, as they were doing so much for my children.
“The club is a lovely place to spend your weekend so it was a no-brainer to be able to add a bit more to the senior team, there was a good reason for doing it with such good people around the club.
“I joined the season before last which was a period of transition. At the beginning of that season, we had just 18 players for our first few games but by the end of it we managed to put a second team out so things had already started to turn around and having seen that we were in the top tier of the clubs in the National Bowl with some clubs who had done well having been promoted and in the Plate, we thought why not go for it.
“New Panteg was our first round match and they were in a lower league but after that we played against teams at the top end of the bracket – Fairwater, Treharris and then an amazing semi-final against Nantgaredig. We came from behind in most of the games so we grew some resilience by the time we got to the final that we could win those close games. I think that played a big part in the way we played the final. We stuck to our guns and had belief in ourselves.
Nathan Thomas's son Celt is taking good care of the Bowl in Abergavenny's clubhouse later in the evening after an eventful day at Principality Stadium
CLICK HERE TO VIEW MATCH REPORT
“It’s still surreal to think about what happened in the last minute or so of the game. For us as a team, we’d never won anything so we felt we had to go for it, in hindsight we’d have probably got some credit for trying even if it hadn’t paid off!
“I’d had some cameo appearances earlier in the season to help bring on our No 8 Josh Davies who had come through our whole club pathway – as have many of our players. Then in the semi, my co-coach Simon Williams thought I should play the whole game. I’m not sure how well my body dealt with that but I think if you’re playing a final at Principality Stadium, you find some extra juice from somewhere! I’d only ever played there in Shane Williams’ testimonial match and to be playing for a competitive trophy made it even more meaningful.
“The Finals Day is as good as it gets for community game – it’s very special to be part of the triple header and a fantastic day out for everyone. Being part of that journey with our group of players and coaches at Abergavenny and the way in which we won on the day all combined to ensure it ranks right up there with winning the Heineken Cup.”
“The confidence we gained that day rolled over into this season and despite being promoted, we became hard to beat. When the season ended we were in second position and hopefully we’ll continue where we left off in terms of our form and results when rugby resumes.”
Abergavenny co-coach Simon Williams has made an unexpected return to Principality Stadium as a facilities management project manager for Cardiff & Vale University Health Board
While Thomas is busy teaching his Llandovery College students via zoom during lockdown, his co-coach Williams is currently playing a wholly different role at Principality Stadium – working on the transformation and management of the stadium into the Dragon’s Heart Hospital as a Cardiff & Vale Health Board facilities management project manager.
Williams said, “I never thought in a million years I would be back here a year later for this reason. The crisis puts everything into perspective but the Finals Day is a fantastic memory for us all to cherish and we look forward to getting back to rugby when the time is right.”
Hear, hear.
