He helped the Crusaders win four straight titles while in charge of their strength and conditioning programme (2017-20), and has worked for Tasman and the Māori All Blacks.

Now, fitness guru Simon Thomas is in his first season in charge of the Perth-based Western Force after a stint in the USA.

Thomas spoke to Stuff for this week’s Back Chat.

What’s the biggest difference between working for the Crusaders and the Force?

It’s definitely still rebuilding as an organisation after Rugby Australia kicked them out of Super, and it just decimated everything underneath it, from community and school level to the professional level. It’s an organisation that’s learning to be a Super Rugby level organisation again. Some things are done really well and some things are still catching up a bit. There’s a level of professionalism right across the organisation and every role is so well ingrained and the environment is so well ingrained at the Crusaders, it’s clock work, and you’re just trying to find little tweaks to make things better. We’re still working on some of the big rocks at the Force.

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What’s the biggest challenge you face in building a high-performing strength and conditioning programme there?

We’re working on getting ourselves a facility. Most teams have their own. We’re in a semi-shared facility, the basketball team uses our gym, and we’re trying to run the men’s and women’s academy programmes out of a shared facility. Our physical environment is something that we just need to keep levelling up, so the players have access to all the spaces and tools they need consistently.

Who is the most gifted athlete you’ve worked with?

I was lucky to be around, in my early days at the Crusaders, when Dan Carter was there. His ability to just see and do things on the rugby field and do the right thing at the right time was uncanny. If he was away for the off-season, he’d enter in the pre-season, and you’d watch him train. It was just so effortless. It was like ‘how did he do that?’ Just as a rugby player, he was on a whole other level. Obviously, Richie Mo’unga coming in behind him at Crusaders, he’s always been a great athlete. He’s incredibly strong and powerful for his size, he’s fast and quick. As an athlete, he can do some pretty special things, too.

Who has done the fastest bronco test you’ve seen?

The halfbacks at the Crusaders were always trying to chase down Andy Ellis’ franchise record (4min 23sec) and none of them cracked it in my time there. We’re still trying to bring ours down over here, they’re much better now than when I first got here. We’re not setting any records over here. I think the best I’ve heard of is Jamison Gibson-Park, who is in Ireland now, he ran something like a 4.11 or 4.12. I remember him coming to New Zealand under-20s camp and running a 21 yo-yo. He’s probably the best time that I’ve heard of from any player I’ve worked with in any environment.

Have you circled May 6 on your calendar for your return to Christchurch to face your old team?

It will be a nice return, I’ll get to see some family during the week. It will be nice and refreshing and cold, coming from WA. There’s a lot of people I built close relationships with over eight years with that team. I mean, we will obviously be doing our best to win it.

Best and worst things about Perth?

The beaches are outstanding. The first time one of my dogs went she was running around looking for sticks because she’s used to Christchurch and there are no sticks on the beaches over here. I didn’t actually know how windy it was going to be…it gets pretty windy through the night and day. I’d say windier than Wellington, and I’m not a fan of wind.

Do you see yourself staying in rugby?

I’d enjoy crossing over to other sports. It’s definitely part of the plan at some point, whether it’s in Australia or the US. There are so many opportunities, and it’s more common in Australia to go across the different football codes. I’d certainly spend some time across other sports at some point, but it’s not something I’m looking directly at yet.