New Canes signing revels in return

[email protected] 07:39 13/10/2014
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  • Limping around: Ricky Thomas was thrust into intense action immediately upon return from a long injury layoff.

    It has been a long road back from injury for new Dubai Hurricanes signing Ricky Thomas – so playing full 80 minutes for the first time in 18 months probably wasn’t what the doctor ordered last weekend.

    The Welshman was only expecting a 20-minute cameo in Canes’ Premiership clash with Xodus Wasps.

    A raft of injuries though meant the ex-Wales 7s and Aberavon star was thrust into the starting line-up last Friday at short notice.

    To compound matters, Graham Chapman’s red card in the fifth minute meant the 26-year-old flyhalf/full-back had to play the full 80 minutes.

    Despite playing almost the entire match a man down, however, Thomas and Canes were rewarded with a 19-0 victory over Wasps.

    The win jolted their Premiership campaign back into life and Thomas even enjoyed the added bonus of scoring one of his side’s tries.

    “I was hoping for a nice easy runout and looking forward to just testing my knee out,” joked the man who has battled back from a full knee reconstruction.

    Thomas first strained his knee ligaments while playing for Aberavon in the Principality Premiership a year-and-a-half ago.

    He attempted to make a return in a 7s tournament with Carmarthen Warriors, which was when disaster struck.

    Thomas tore his medial collateral and anterior cruciate ligaments and even had to have hamstring skin graft.

    “After my first game of 15-a-side rugby in 18 months and playing with 14 men, I’m a little bit sore and have been hobbling around a bit,” Thomas said a day after his testing debut.

    Canes also played 10 minutes of the second half reduced to 13 men with Chris Gregory sin-binned.

    Even so, Thomas scored a brilliant solo try.

    “I was in Wasps’ half, picked up and did a show and go, darted through, stepped the full-back and then fended off the winger to score,” he recalls.

    Thomas and partner Katie Rumbelow have been in the UAE five weeks and said he felt quite at home before the game when a thunder and lightning storm hit Dubai.

    “It was a bit like being at home in Wales,” joked Thomas. “I’m loving life here.”

    Thomas also feels at home with the Dubai Hurricanes.

    “A friend of mine came out here and played a bit for Canes and I wanted to move out, so I sent my rugby CV off and Canes gave me the best feedback,” he said.

    The rehabilitated star now hopes he can stay fit and is looking ahead to the season with his new club.

    That includes two big games against reigning Premiership champions Jebel Ali Dragons and Dubai Exiles.

    More than anything though, he is relishing the idea of playing in Dubai Rugby 7s in December.

    “I’ve never done the Dubai 7s for one reason or another, I’ve played at Wellington and Las Vegas with Wales, so I’m looking forward to that,” added Thomas.

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