Wales legend Gareth Thomas has revealed the hardest opponents he ever played against were All Blacks hard men Frank Bunce and Walter Little - who punched him 10 times in the face during the 1995 Rugby World Cup.
"I feel I am lucky. I went through both the amateur and professional eras and, trust me, in the amateur era I played against some pretty tough-arsed people," said Thomas.
"I went to the 1995 World Cup - God, I’m old - and my second game for Wales was against New Zealand. That All Blacks team had Jonah Lomu, who had burst on the scene in that World Cup.
"I played in the centre against Frank Bunce and Walter Little. I was 19 years of age and really learning, playing against them two. I remember Alec Evans said to me ‘you are the young up and coming guy and you need to get stuck into these aging Bunce and Little’.
"I remember hitting one of them a bit late after the ball and before I knew it he had punched me about 10 times in the face, before I could blink!
"I realised ‘you know what, you’ve got to earn your stripes at this level’.
"To play against a centre partnership like that and to realise it’s a very difficult environment to be in and you have to be tough, you have to be skillful, you have to be streetwise, I learned a lot that day."
10 Worst Foreign Signings in Premiership History
Some exciting Gallagher Premiership imports, no matter the pedigree of the player, simply don't work out...
1. Jeremy Paul (Gloucester)
What a corker to start off with. The Wallabies legend and World Cup winner joined the club on a three-year contract back in 2007.
However, what started off as an exciting signing turned into an expensive mistake for the Cherry & Whites, who have got next to nothing out of the hooker who will have cost them a lot of money.
He played only one Premiership game for Glaws in his one season at Kingsholm, departing by mutual consent in July, 2008.
2. Demetri Catrakilis (Harlequins)
The highly-rated South African fly-half made the move to England to join Premiership side Harlequins prior to the 2017–2018 season. However, he'd make just 13 appearances for the club over two seasons unfortunately dominated by injury. He then left Quins to join Pro 14 side Izuzu Southern Kings
3. Radike Samo (Newcastle Falcons)
Falcons announced in May 2004 that the Brumbies loose forward had signed on a two-year deal, believed to be worth £150,000 per season. However, the recently-capped Wallaby got cold feet and pulled out of the move claiming he’d only ever signed a letter of intent. Rob Andrew was adamant at the time that agreement to join the Falcons was binding.
4. JP Pietersen (Leicester Tigers)
World Cup winner with South Africa in 2007, Pietersen signed a three-year deal to join Premiership giants prior to the 2016–2017 season. However, the winger was granted early release to join top French club Toulon in the Top 14 from the 2017-18 season. He scored three tries in 15 appearances during his underwhelming one-year stint at Welford Road. Worth the huge salary? Absolutely not.
5. Nemani Nadolo (Exeter Chiefs)
Signed for the club 11th Jan 2011 but was registered under his Aussie passport and therefore cost the club 2 points and £5000 for fielding too many overseas players. He was then convicted of drink driving, banned from the road for 18 months, and released by the club in May 2011.
He failed to score a single try in his four appearances for the Chiefs. His career has done nothing but rise ever since so that's nice. Hopefully, he'll do much better with Leicester Tigers after signing with them for the 2020/21 season.
6. Christian Loamanu (Leicester Tigers)
The highly rated Japanese international arrived in 2014 after stints with Treviso and Toulon. The versatile back, who'd be banned for life in Japan for testing positive for marijuana, was poor in his two years at the club, making just seven appearances. Failed to live up to expectation.
7. Cătălin Fercu (Saracens)
More frustrating than anything.
Tongues were wagging when the Romania international, who has now accumulated 107 caps, arrived at Allianz Park in 2014, with the fullback being compared to Welshman Leigh Halfpenny by the press at the time.
He was intended to come in and play a pivotal role in the team but would depart at the end of the season after only six appearances. The speedster probably warranted longer to prove himself, but this was a mediocre transfer nonetheless.
8. Napolioni Nalaga (London Irish)
The Fijian wide-man joined the newly promoted Exiles in 2017, fresh off scoring 22 tries in 32 games during a productive two year spell with Lyon. With the club spending big money, fans were hopeful that his deadly finishing would give them a chance of avoiding the drop. Instead, he looked unthreatening and slow, scoring just one try.
9. Todd Clever (Newcastle Falcons)
After playing professional rugby in New Zealand, South Africa, and Japan over a nearly decade long career Todd Clever will finally get a taste of European rugby after signing with the Falcons in 2015. The 76-cap USA international never really got going at Kingston Park, staying for just one season, making only six appearances.
10. Takashi Kikutani (Saracens)
Fresh from winning player of the year in the Japanese Top League, the experienced international, who had accumulated 66 caps up to that point, arrived at the club from Toyota Verblitz on a training contract in 2013 with the prospect of joining the club permanently.
However, nothing materialised and what started as an exciting transfer move became a complete waste of time.
