Worcester Warriors skipper Jonathan Thomas has expressed his surprise at being asked to captain his new club - and his determination to lead by example throughout the coming season.
The Wales international only arrived at Sixways in the summer after spending a decade at Ospreys where he made 188 appearances and won 67 caps.
But in just a few months the 30-year-old has revealed himself to be an impressive and influential member of Dean Ryan’s new-look team and was handed the role in the warm-up matches against Rotherham and Ospreys.
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Ryan cited Thomas’s experience and understanding of the game as his reasons for eschewing a number of longer-standing candidates and the Pembroke-born forward says he accepted immediately.
“It’s a massive honour to be given the opportunity to lead the club. I only moved to Worcester two or three months ago and it’s not something I ever thought about. But it’s a great honour,” Thomas said.
“I wasn’t too sure what I was letting myself in for and what the group of boys would be like but since I’ve been at the club, I can’t speak highly enough of everyone.
"The players are a great bunch of boys but not just that - the whole management team and support staff.
“It’s a great club and it means a lot to me that people have made me feel so welcome. That has helped a lot so being given the opportunity to lead that group of people is a big honour for me.
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"When Dean did ask me I was over the moon.”
If anything the fact Thomas is new to Sixways was probably seen as a strength as Ryan strives to stamp his mark on the club after years of underachievement.
That is a big departure from the choice of his predecessors Mike Ruddock and Richard Hill - both of whom opted to retain incumbent Pat Sanderson as their captain.
After Sanderson’s retirement, though, Hill used both Chris Pennell and Dean Schofield as his on-field general, with James Percival filling in on occasions.
But Thomas’s pedigree could not be ignored. “I’ve experienced quite a bit over the years in regional rugby and international rugby and been through a lot,” he said.
“One of the things I was aware of before I joined the club and one of the things Dean spoke about when I first met him was that it’s a clean slate for everyone.
“Dean’s come in new himself and he wanted to create a really good environment. I’ve been part of a few environments and all you can do is look to pass on your experience and that’s not just me.
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“There’s other senior players within the squad who are vastly experienced. When you’re trying to create something special like we are at the Warriors it’s about everyone playing their part and trying to create a positive environment for the team.
“I’m not sure what type of captain I’ll be. The biggest thing for me and something I’ve always expected from captains I’ve played under is for the captain to lead by example on the field. I think that’s the most important thing.
“So as long as I play to the best of my ability on the field, I try and lead by example then I’m sure that’s half the battle. “