Saturday, January 28, 2012
Wales prop Rhys Thomas has undergone surgery after being treated for a heart condition suffered in training with the Scarlets.
The 29-year-old was taken to hospital in Swansea on Thursday, has "undergone successful surgery" and is in a "comfortable condition".
Thomas, the last of whose seven caps came in 2008, will recover in hospital. He was born in South Africa but began his professional career in Wales, making his debut for Newport, the town of his father’s birth, in 2003.
The tight-head made his international debut in Wales’ 45-27 defeat by Argentina in Buenos Aires in June 2006, replacing Adam Jones in the second-half.
But he was unable to play for seven months between October 2007 and May 2008 because of a mystery chest problem.
Thomas’s next Test cap was in August 2007 when Wales were defeated 62-5 by England in a World Cup warm-up — and the last of his seven international appearances was in a 37-21 defeat by South Africa in June 2008.
The 18st 12lb powerhouse joined Scarlets from the Dragons in 2009 after making 119 appearances for the Newport-based region.
Thomas has scored nine tries in 52 Scarlets appearances and has scored four times in 17 games this season.
His last outing was in their 16-14 win over Glasgow on 7 January.
© Examiner Publications (Cork) Limited, City Quarter, Lapps Quay, Cork. Registered in Ireland: 73385.