'I've proven I can cope at this level... at Leicester, I let one or two people's opinions have a huge impact on my mental state'
Harry Thacker enjoyed the latest week in the Bristol evolution under Pat Lam, the fireworks of shredding Northampton on Tuesday interspersed by the rumble that was the coach unsuccessfully going to war to get Siale Piutau off his three-game ban.
It sure created noise on both fronts. Thacker has been speculated as a possible England call-up next month when Eddie Jones’ crew finally gets back to work, while there has been much commentary on the passionate defence mounted by the Bristol coach regarding veteran midfielder Siale who was red-carded for punching last Friday week at Worcester.
Thacker was in the vicinity when that late-game Sixways bust-up erupted, coming off the bench before the midweek start versus Saints became his fifth appearance in a half-dozen post-lockdown matches. Ignoring the precise minutiae of who did what to whom and all the rest, Thacker’s takeaway from the heated row was that Lam is an advocate that Bristol can bank on no matter the difficult circumstances.
He could have kept schtum, could have bitten his lip regarding the perceived injustice. Instead, he gave it socks in a public manner that resonated in the dressing room. “It gives us confidence as a playing group that our DoR is backing our corner,” enthused Thacker to RugbyPass ahead of his Sunday breather from the relentless action, a rare day with the feet up as Bristol visit Wasps.
“Sometimes something that gets forgotten about is players’ health. It [rugby] is a business but to have your head man trying to look after you and do what is best for the individual and speaking out about it, it would be quite easy to fly under the radar.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CEznVEnnuHG/
“But to have someone that places importance upon that, definitely as a player within the group it just makes you want to give that little bit more for the boss because he is looking out for you and your best interests so you don’t mind putting your body on the line or doing what is best for the team in that sort of respect.
“It’s bigger than the game for him, there is more to it. What he wants is when you leave the Bears programme is you leave as better players but also as better people. He puts a strong emphasis on that and it’s just nice to know that at the top that is part of their concern.
“They are not looking at it from the worst perspective as just a business, that we’re just cattle led to the slaughter sort of thing, which in this day and age when we’re playing midweek games things like player welfare is huge. To have someone backing your corner and looking out for the best interests of the individual as well as the team is pretty cool.”
It was summer 2018 when Thacker joined the Bristol sloth, his ambition piqued by the vision sold to him by Lam after he struggled for acceptance at Leicester, the club his father Troy and brother Charlie played for.
The fear in the English Midlands was that Thacker’s size – he’s a mere 5ft 8ins in height, 93kgs on the scales – wouldn’t survive the brutish landscape of the bruising Premiership, but Lam’s perspective was opposite, that the dazzling dynamo would be a valuable piece in a jigsaw where deft hands and fleet-footedness among forwards is just as important as top drawer wizardry from the likes of Semi Radradra and Charles Piutau.
“It [Bristol] has far outweighed my expectations,” said the 26-year-old Thacker, whose six seasons at Leicester included Championship detours at Nottingham and Doncaster. “When I spoke to Pat he spoke about this new training ground. I didn’t see the plans but we finally walked into the new training ground post-lockdown and it’s just incredible.
“Most football clubs would be envious of it. That’s pretty epic, and even just living in the city of Bristol, I’ve absolutely loved it because there is so much to do and it’s close to the coast. It’s far outweighed expectations. I’m really loving life down here.
“The culture we drive at the club isn’t one I’d experienced before. New lads coming say exactly the same. It’s pretty good to hear what we’re building is pretty sweet. We’re heading in the right direction and playing week in, week out you get in the flow of it and the style of play suits how I want to play.
Incredible few days away to Iceland. Shame the weather stopped us getting the cameras out more but had a blast anyway!! @ThackerCharlie pic.twitter.com/levcDG2bJ0
— Harry Thacker (@harry_thacker) February 2, 2017
“It has built my confidence up a lot. I have proven to myself and a few other people that I can cope at this level because at Leicester there would have been a bit of chat, a bit of worry about my size and stuff. That was something I was always having to battle against.
“At Leicester, I was trying to prove a point and looking back now, I play my best rugby when I’m just out there enjoying myself. I let one or two people’s opinions have a huge impact on my mental state and how I viewed the game. All it takes is just one person to believe in you and see you for what you can bring instead of maybe (giving out about) a couple of inches. Just keep going.
“I definitely believe I wouldn’t be the player I am if I hadn’t been told from a young age I was too small. I fought as hard as I tried and I look at it in a positive way. It has definitely shaped the way I play and the person I am.”
It was last year when Lam bullishly suggested how Thacker’s whirling dervish style of play was the type the All Blacks adore in their hookers. “It’s nice to have a coach that backs you. Don’t get me wrong, he drives us very hard in training but it’s just my style of play and how I grew up playing just fits into his game plan quite well. He likes the forwards to be able to play ball and I love getting touches.
“I do believe the game is starting to change now. A lot of teams are buying into it and it’s a very different game to four or five years ago. It’s becoming a more open, expansive game and players have to adapt and that includes all the forwards.
“A lot of the young lads coming through now the skill sets are unbelievable compared to five, ten years ago. It’s something that needs to get emphasised quite a lot at grassroots level because the way the game is being played, second rows, props all need to be able to catch and pass now as opposed to ten years ago it was just scrummage and push.
“From the bottom up an emphasis needs to be put on that and rugby will be in a good place as a spectacle to watch because of it. It [the gym bunny approach] will never be over because it’s a very high, collision-dominant game but to be able to do both and get the balance right is very important.”
Now about that England speculation: it would be quite something for Thacker to make the grade in the same year he had a neck operation, but he claims his Bristol form isn’t where it needs to be yet. “I wouldn’t say I’ve been playing particularly well. I felt a bit more myself last Tuesday but it has taken me a while to get back into it. I hadn’t played since January. I’d a neck operation and lockdown came, so it has been a long time without rugby.
— Matty Reay (@MattyReay) September 9, 2020
“England is something I always wanted to play, but I have no doubt I’m not in the best form I’ve ever been and I have got a long way to go. I have got to improve but that [England] will always be the top goal for me. I’m striving towards that but I have got a lot to work on before that even comes into my head.
“It was a fairly simple op,” he added, reflecting on the January health scare. “I just had a bit of a bulging disc in the neck that got cut away. I was doing well in recovery and was going to be back significantly earlier than I should and then Covid struck, but when it comes to your neck you can’t really complain.”
Away from rugby at Bristol, lockdown life had downs and ups for Thacker. His surfing suffered but a young family home life more than made up for it. “Surfing took a bit of a hit, and I’d my neck operation as well, but The Wave in Bristol has opened again. That blows the cobwebs out and keeps me paddle fit, but I hoping to get back in the water properly this winter with the big swells coming.
“I enjoyed a lot of time with the family, made a few little projects for my son, building a mud gate churn and a bit of a climbing frame with my old man, the sort of stuff we used to do growing up. I used to spend a lot of time with him doing DIY, so it was nice to get back involved.”
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Rugby’s return also brought some differences. From a trivial perspective, lack of barber access didn’t affect Thacker, whose habit is to let it grow a bit wild and only get a lot taken off every six months. However, colleagues who favoured the high and tight look struggled.
“A lot resorted to just the bald head because it was easier to maintain than the high and tight which they couldn’t keep themselves,” jested Thacker, whose own long mane makes him readily identifiable on the pitch with Bristol. “Dan Thomas came in pretty short, Piers O’Conor shaved his head, there was a few drastic measures taken by a few boys. Harry Randall’s beard got pretty long. A few boys came back looking pretty rugged.”
More seriously, though, the collective Bristol complexion was hugely enhanced for the restart, their title push emboldened by the arrival of Kyle Sinckler and Radradra. “To sign two players like that is pretty epic, a real statement of intent from the club.
“There are often rumours but we probably read them like you do on social media. It’s not something that gets announced to the players beforehand. We find out when you guys find out,” continued Thacker, remembering how he particularly reacted to the signing of new front row teammate Sinckler.
“It was like, ‘that’s class’. Just to add someone like Kyle when you have got the likes of John Afoa, that depth and rotation will only boost players around them… Kyle has been with England, has played with the Lions – he is a good representation of the standards that need to be upheld to function at those levels. That trickles down into the team and it’s only going to bring people up and get them to make the most of the game.”
Beautiful, simply beautiful ? https://t.co/3uB2mcGAAV
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 9, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
Best team ever…. To have played? These guys are still pressure chokers. Came nowhere when it counted. What a joke
68 Go to commentsMusk defends anonymous terrorism, fascism, threats against individuals and children etc etc But a Rugby club account….lock ‘em up!!!
1 Go to commentsActually the era defining moment came a few years earlier. February 2002 to be precise, when Michael D Higgins as finance minister at the time introduced his sports persons tax relief bill to the dial. As the politicians of the day stated “It seems to be another daft K Club frolic born in Kildare amongst the well-paid professional jockeys with whom the Minister plays golf” and that the scheme represented “a savage uncaring vision of Ireland and one that should be condemned”. The irfu and Leinster would be nowhere near the position they are in today without this key component of the finances.
2 Go to commentsIt is crystal clear that people who make such threats on line should be tried and imprisoned. Those with responsibility in social media companies who don’t facilitate this should be convicted. In real life, I have free speech to approach someone like Reinach and verbally threaten him. I am risking a conviction or a slap but I could do it. In the old days, If someone anonymously threatened someone by letter the police would ask and use evidence from the postal system. Unlike the Post, social media companies have complete instant and legal access to the content in social media. They make money from the data, billions. Yet, they turn a blind eye to terrorism, Nazi-ism and industrial levels of threats against individuals including their address and childrens schools being published online all from ananoymous accounts not real speech. They claim free speech. The fault is with the perps but also social media companies who think anonymous personas posting death threats constitutes free speech.
2 Go to commentsSo if this ain’t the best Irish team ever then who exactly is? I don’t remember any other Irish team being this good & winning a series in the Land of the Long White Cloud. Yes I may rip them often for 8 X QF RWC exits & twice not even making it to the QF, but they’re a damn good team who many think can only improve, including me!
68 Go to commentsNot a squeek out of Leinster for weeks about this match. So quiet. The first team have been quitely building for this encounter under Nienaber’s direction. All fresh, all highly motivated. They are expecting a season’s best performance from Northhampton. They will match that. They will be fresher and apparently they will have 80,000 out of the 83,000 shouting for them. I do expect Northhampton to turn up big time. Not to be missed. On a tangent it is evident how the loss of a few Premiership teams has in some respect helped other Premiership teams and England. More quality over less teams makes the teams better, which has a knock on effect on England. Not the only factor contributing to England’s rise but one of them.
2 Go to commentsOur very own monster teddy bear Ox😍💪
17 Go to commentsThis is might be the most generalised, entitled, patronising, out-of-pocket cultural indictment on a group of people you’ll ever see on what is supposedly a sports publication. I can only assume the author is weak like a woman or homosexual. I’m feeling an incredible range of emotions but I am not quite sure how to express them. I might go beat up a hockey player - assuming that’s okay with Duane and the boys? 🙂
9 Go to commentsBest thing the Welsh clubs could do is apply to join Gallagher prem surely be more exciting matches for there support than they have now.
2 Go to commentsRugbyPass writers are useless! you guys should get a real job because you all suck at writing about rugby!!!
9 Go to commentslooking forward to RWC2027 …. Boks on mission impossible for the Three-in-a-row, ABs to prove they being on par, France wishing to crown the “DuPont-era”, Ireland knocking on the Semi-Door ….. until then we’ll probably have to deal with Weird Ben’s fantasy-RWC23 (fun fact is, the drivel always creates a flooding of comments) …..
221 Go to commentsBen Smith you really make some good points in this article, the Springboks were not close to perfect and good still beat the All Blacks, imagine if they were as good as they were against France what a hiding the All Blacks would have gotten… maybe another Twickenham drubbing
221 Go to commentsIt is a good argument to keep the Rebels for one more year but also isnt this just opening the door as well for keeping them beyond 2025. If they can create some sort of financial stability in the next year and if their performances lift as they have this season then how would RA even cull them after that? It might be the most cost effective decision at this stage and perhaps many people are guilty of keeping relationships going because of the cost to decouple but then again when does that ever work out well?
28 Go to commentsDear Ben Smith you are a genius! God please become the next all blacks coach that can take on the mighty BOKS. Your rugby acumen is second to none - imagine your dads sperm bounced as unfortunately as that oval ball did….we would not be blessed with your presence. Just as the all blacks were missing a man you too are missing a chromosome for 80% of your life, so your insights are not only profound but ring true from your own experiences. Just as the TMO interfered with citing an illegal pass I am sure your local authorities interfere with your illegal passes you make on women - How dare they!!! God forbid that rugby be officiated fairly. You are the right man for the job. Next all blacks coach is here ladies and gentlemen Miss Ben Smith (He/She/They/IT)
221 Go to commentsHuge engine this guy and great to see him back ..The amount of clean outs he does at the ruck are ridiculous !!
3 Go to commentsThe level of desperation in this article is just embarrassing.
221 Go to commentsSome silly trolling in the comments.
9 Go to commentsEverywhere you turn some irish journo is advocating Ireland as the greatest, reasoning that the wc is a 4 year cycle event so, they say wc doesn’t matter it’s the rugby in between that should account for the accolade. If there was no wc then some substance could be gained, however in my opinion the moment that defined Ireland’s fate against the abs was 37 phases of repeated head bashing against a brick wall. If a change in strategy or a tinker with the game plan was executed then things could've been vastly different. And to point a finger the let down was in the hands of the number 10.
68 Go to commentsI have heard it asked if RA is essentially one of the part owners and I suppose therefor should be on the other side of these two parties. If they purchased the rebels and guaranteed them, and are responsible enough they incur Rebels penalties, where is this line drawn? Seems rough to have to pay a penalty for something were your involvement sees you on the side of the conned party, the creditors. If the Rebels directors themselves have given the club their money, 6mil worth right, why aren’t they also listed as sitting with RA and the Tax office? And the legal threat was either way, new Rebels or defunct, I can’t see how RA assume the threat was less likely enough to warrant comment about it in this article. Surely RA ignore that and only worry about whether they can defend it or not, which they have reported as being comfortable with. So in effect wouldn’t it be more accurate to say there is no further legal threat (or worry) in denying the deal. Unless the directors have reneged on that. > Returns of a Japanese team or even Argentinean side, the Jaguares, were said to be on the cards, as were the ideas of standing up brand new teams in Hawaii or even Los Angeles – crazy ideas that seemingly forgot the time zone issues often cited as a turn-off for viewers when the competition contained teams from South Africa. Those timezones are great for SR and are what will probably be needed to unlock its future (cant see it remaining without _atleast _help from Aus), day games here are night games on the West Coast of america, were potential viewers triple, win win. With one of the best and easiest ways to unlock that being to play games or a host a team there. Less good the further across Aus you get though. Jaguares wouldn’t be the same Jaguares, but I still would think it’s better having them than keeping the Rebels. The other options aren’t really realistic 25’ options, no. From reading this authors last article I think if the new board can get the investment they seem to be confident in, you keeping them simply for the amount of money they’ll be investing in the game. Then ditch them later if they’re not good enough without such a high budget. Use them to get Jaguares reintergration stronger, with more key players on board, and have success drive success.
28 Go to commentsYeah, and ours is waaay bigger than yours. Just as you's get a semi…oh hold on that never happens
68 Go to comments