Gareth Thomas became the first player to reach 100 caps when he led the Wales team out against Fiji at the Stade de La Baujoire Stadium, Nantes on 29th September 2007 against Fiji in the Pool stages of the 2007 Rugby World Cup. On a day of defeat for Wales, Thomas also stretched then Wales try-scoring record to 40 tries for his country when he crossed on the right wing during the early stages of the second half.
He broke Gareth Llewellyn's previous all-time cap record of 92 caps to gain his 93rd when he lead Wales out against Australia on 26th May 2007 at the Telstra Stadium, Sydney in the first Test against Australia on the 2007 summer tour of the country, contesting the James Bevan Trophy for the first time in the process. Born in Bridgend on 25th July 1974, Thomas made his top-level club rugby debut for Bridgend against Birchgrove at the Brewery Field on 5th October 1993, playing on the wing and scoring a try in a 36-0 victory.
His first slice of action in a Wales jersey came as a replacement centre for Wales Youth in a 23-27 defeat to France Juniors at St Helen's, Swansea in March 1993. Wales U21 and Wales A caps followed before he made his full Wales debut as a wing against Japan in Bloemfontein in the Rugby World Cup on 27th May 1995; Thomas scored a hat-trick playing on the left wing. Ironically, if damage to rib cartilage had not sidelined Thomas after the clash with Australia in the 2007 tournament, then his 100th cap could have been against the same opposition as his first, Japan in the Rugby World Cup.
Thomas joined joined Willie Llewellyn, Reggie Gibbs, Maurice Richards, Ieuan Evans and Nigel Walker in scoring four tries in a match against Italy in Treviso on 20th March, 1999 in his 32nd appearance as Wales won 60-21 and is the holder of Wales's all-time try-scoring record with 40 tries. Thomas equalled the previous record holder Ieuan Evans with a strike against England at Twickenham in the 2004 RBS Six Nations to haul 32 for his country before going into the lead with a try against Italy on 27th March 2004 in the same tournament; his 33rd try in 77 appearances compared to Evans's 72 caps. His 40th try, against Fiji in the Rugby World Cup notched his personal points haul for Wales to 200 points.
Thomas became the ninth player to reach 50 caps against Italy in Rome in the Lloyds TSB Six Nations on 8th April 2001. Wales won 33-23. Thomas's first match as captain came against Ireland in Dublin on 16th August 2003 on his 67th appearance. Wales lost 35-12 to the Irish in a warm-up match for the 2003 Rugby World Cup. A year later, Mike Ruddock made him Wales Captain and during the course of the 2004-2005 season Thomas went on to lift the RBS Six Nations trophy as Wales were crowned Grand Slam Champions.
Thomas notched his 50th win in a Wales shirt, the first player to reach that landmark when he led his side to a victory 27-20 over Argentina at the Millennium Stadium on 18th August 2007. By playing against Fiji Thomas reached 100 caps and became only the eighth player in the world to play 100 Tests for his country, joining George Gregan, Jason Leonard, Fabien Pelous, Philippe Sella, Stephen Larkham, David Campese and Alessandro Troncon.
Thomas has played 100 matches for Wales, winning 51, drawing 1 and losing 48. He has led Wales out as captain 21 times, winning nine of those matches and losing eleven, that statistic does not include the occasions when he has been handed the armband during the course of a match. He has played 19 matches at fullback, 55 on the wing and 20 at centre with a further six replacement appearances seeing him play twice again in each of those three positions. Click Here to read Thomas's full career breakdown.
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