Former Wales international rugby player Lee Jarvis has spoken out in defence of Ben Thomas, who has faced criticism for his performances at fly-half for Wales. Jarvis took to social media to highlight that Thomas is primarily a centre and should not be blamed for playing out of position.
He also condemned some of the negativity he has seen directed at the Cardiff Rugby player, describing it as “awful". Writing on X (formerly Twitter), Jarvis said: "Ben Thomas is getting a lot of hatred for his performances at 10 playing for Wales. He's not keen on 10. His position centre. Don’t miss a rugby story, sign up for our newsletter
"He plays centre 99% of the time. It's not his fault, and all the abuse is awful. As a person, he's one of the nicest and most honest young blokes about."
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Ben Thomas is getting a lot of hatred for his performances at 10 playing for Wales. He's not keen on 10. His position centre. He plays centre 99% of the time. It's not his fault, and all the abuse is awful. As a person, he's one of the nicest and most honest young blokes about
—(@LeeJarvis10) February 9, 2025
Thomas, 26, has been a key player for Cardiff Rugby, mostly featuring as an inside centre but occasionally covering fly-half when needed. He has impressed in the Cardiff RFC jersey, picking up the Best Newcomer award in 2018/19 and has featured in the 10, 12 and 15 jersey at Cardiff.
He also won his first international cap against Canada in the summer of 2021 and was also included for the following autumn campaign. But recently he has received criticism when stepping into the number 10 role.
Cardiff head coach Matt Sheratt said the end of 2024: "I have been happy with the way Ben has progressed over the past couple of years and he is now a consistent, mature performer for us", BBC Wales reported. Ben also added: "We have a good group and I believe we can build to achieve something special together in the next few years.
"The style of play suits my own game and I believe it is getting the best out of me as an individual and us collectively as a group."
