The player, who will be celebrating his 26th birthday on Sunday, joined the Cheetahs on a two-year deal from the Scottish outfit, Glasgow Warriors.

The former Junior Springbok pivot spent four years at Glasgow before heading to the Free State.

Thomson told OFM Sport that while the heat caught him by surprise, it is better than the cold conditions in Europe.

“I arrived in Bloemfontein on Sunday evening and I checked on Monday morning for my first couple of check-ups and meetings, and then been training with the boys all week.

“Everybody has been super helpful in lending a hand and trying to get me on the same page.

“There has been a lot of studying for me to try and learn on the calls and plays as quick as I can.

“The heat sort of caught me off guard. I was worried about the altitude, and the minute it was 30 degrees with sunshine.

“I’m not complaining. With four years of cold and rainy days, I will happily take a sunny day with 30 degrees any day. There is just a lot of sunscreen going on at the moment.”

Thomson could be set for his Cheetahs debut next Wednesday when they host the Sharks in Bloemfontein. This match at the Toyota Stadium is scheduled to kick off at 19:00.

@MorganPiek OFM Sport