Sale youngster Henry Thomas is preparing for another steep step along the learning curve as he looks to build on an outstanding breakthrough season.

Despite still only being 19, Thomas broke through into the Sharks’ first team last autumn and never looked back, going on to secure a place as one of the cornerstones of the England Under-20s side that reached the final of the Junior World Cup in June.

Such has been the whirlwind change in playing personnel orchestrated by Sharks boss Steve Diamond, when Thomas returned to Sale after a mini-break in Majorca the prop admitted he felt like he had returned to a different club.

But having laid a marker after such an outstanding first season in senior rugby, the next challenge for Thomas is to build on his achievements of the last 12 months.

“It was almost like having new-job nerves when I first came back after the summer, but there’s a great atmosphere here,” Thomas declared.

“The new guys all seem to have fitted in straight away, there’s a great feeling around the camp and everyone is really excited about the new season and pushing each other for places.

“There’s a real sense of professionalism about everything that we are doing.

“Everyone wants to improve and test themselves.

“There’s a great buzz and it all comes from the coaching staff that we now have in place here.

“There’s a nice blend between experience and young promise with the guys that have come in and they have all brought a real work ethic with them.

“We’ve been suffering in training but, hopefully, come the start of the season at Worcester we will have that edge and it will have been worth it.

“On a personal level, I surprised myself with the way I progressed last season.

“I was fortunate enough to get my chance in the team and I managed to keep it.

“I felt I carried on improving and it was a great year for me and, hopefully, I can carry on improving.

“But now the way I’m looking at things is that it’s a new season and I’ve just got to start again.

“It’s not forgotten but what I did last season has gone now and my aim is on learning and developing as a player.

“I certainly want to improve on areas like scrummaging but equally I don’t want to lose the things I did well last year.”

Such was Thomas’ dramatic progress last season, that the Economics studies which partly brought him to Sale in the first place, via a place at Manchester University, were forced to take a back seat.

With the former Millfield School pupil expected to be a key part of the Sharks’ first-team squad again this season, the demands on his time won’t get any easier but Thomas is hoping he has devised a structure that will allow him to learn and prosper in both fields.

“I did my first semester final exams which went well but second semester took a big hit so I’m doing that again this year,” Thomas revealed. “I’ve taken a year out pretty much but I’m being supported by the RPA (Rugby Player’s Association) and by my tutors so I can fit both my studies and rugby in.

“In many ways there are not enough hours in the day.

“I’m leaving Carrington feeling pretty shattered and then having to do studying when I get home which is tough and takes a lot of discipline. Luckily, I’ve got a few house mates who are doing something similar.

“The toughest thing is missing lectures and contact time with my fellow students and tutors.

“It’s almost like a full-time course by correspondence. It’s tough but, hopefully, I can get through it as I see having the degree being an important part of my life after rugby.” Tweet