Tomas Francis
smiles when
asked to consider the last seven months of his rugby career, one that has taken him from the Exeter Chiefs, to the starting tighthead prop for Wales against England in their pivotal Rugby World Cup encounter at Twickenham.
He’s got just three caps in his back pocket for a match the importance of which no one on either side is downplaying. As recently as last March, he’d never been in a Welsh squad, and only last month made his debut against Ireland, a 16-10 victory at the Aviva Stadium in a warm-up match in which he acquitted himself very capably.
There’s also the fact that the 23-year-old was born in England, York, educated at Sedbergh and Ampleforth schools and holds a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Leeds. Until last season, his professional rugby career – he made his debut at 19 – was conducted at the Doncaster Knights and London Scottish.
His performances for Exeter in the Premiership caught the eye of Wales coach Warren Gatland, who had been appraised that Francis qualified for the Principality through his grandmother, who was born in Abercrave.
At 21 stone he brings an obvious ballast and boasts a reputation of excelling in the scrum. He owes his place in the team to a slight heel issue that continues to bother Samson Lee, although the latter is fit enough to be included in the replacements.
Doing the basics
Francis admits to being slightly bemused by his current circumstances but in a good way. “It has gone so quick. I haven’t had time to stop and think which I suppose is a good thing. It is a game of rugby at the end of the day to me.
“I have got to keep doing the basics as I have always done; it’s got me here and hopefully if we get it right on Saturday I’ll do the same.”
He uses the word “porky” to describe his physique before entering Wales gruelling pre-tournament regimen. “My conditioning, my fitness, my impact around the pitch has come on a lot. I have worked a lot of my scrumagging; international level is different again from Premiership.
“I have had to get used to that and the pace. Bobby [Paul Stridgeon the Welsh fitness coach] is second to none in terms of the conditioning. There were a few dark days out in Qatar. I didn’t know if I was going to get through it, but it is here now in the bank.”
Grapple
“Melon [Gethin Jenkins] has taken me under his wing; it’s been good to learn off him. The looseheads are the old boys in the frontrow so they sort of lead it. He told me to not be lazy, scrum every scrum and he’ll look after me around the pitch, keep me going.”
He's played against all of the England frontrow including Joe Marler, the man he'll directly grapple with in the scrum.
Francis explains about “painting a good picture for referees”, and that he can’t afford to let standards slip.
“In the Premiership you can switch off in a scrum and you can get through if you recover late. If you are not there the whole time [at test level] you’ll know and it will be proven against you with a penalty.
"This World Cup has been a lot about the looseheads, their angle and turning in.
“If I can paint a picture of a long bind and stay straight, I give Gethin [Jenkins] a chance to attack his side and have a go at [Dan] Cole.”
