Thomas said the players' thoughts are with the injured Chris Czekaj

Blues flyer Czekaj suffered a suspected broken femur against Australia as Wales lost the second Test 31-0 in Brisbane.

"I could see the guy was in agony. He's a youngster and it's a terrible injury," Thomas said.

"This sort of thing happens and you just have to put it to the back of your mind and get on with the game."

Czekaj, 21 and winning his sixth cap, faces the prospect of an indefinite stay in hospital in Australia and is now a doubt for the World Cup in the autumn.

He suffered the injury in a tackle by Stephen Moore, although the Wallaby hooker was not at fault as Czekaj's studs caught in the turf and his leg twisted horribly under him.

"I could easily use Chris' injury as an excuse and say it affected us, but it didn't," Thomas added.

There was too much rugby back home in the last three weeks Wales coach Gareth Jenkins

"We knew it was a serious injury, but as a professional rugby player you've got a game to play.

"I just wanted him to know that when he was leaving I probably wouldn't see him after the game and just wanted to tell him I was immensely proud of the effort, as I was able to say to the rest of the guys in the changing room afterwards.

"It's going to be a tough time for him. It was amazing to see the Australian guys coming in to exchange jerseys afterwards and telling us to wish Chris all the best."

Gareth Jenkins believed that fatigue was a factor as the tourists crumbled in the second half in Brisbane.

But the Wales coach warned that they would be a different proposition when the sides next meet, in their World Cup pool game in Cardiff on 15 September.

"There was fatigue in us and it was a case of us never getting into the game in terms of having a share of it. Possession was hard to come by," said Jenkins.

"We only had seven line-outs throughout the game and there were 17 free-kicks and penalties against us, so we never had a chance get hold of the ball for any sustained amount of time.

"That meant we had to defend far too often and for far too long and it became one-way traffic in the last 20 minutes and to be fair to Australia they opened us up then.

"There was too much rugby back home in the last three weeks and we were always concerned coming into this game about the energy levels and how much we had left in us.

"It was a tough end to the season for us, but Australia are in a different place.

"They're building towards the Tri-Nations and are looking at a building programme, while we are looking at a wind-down programme and a pre-season.

"But we have to arrive in September (for the World Cup) ready for a one-off game.

"As much as I've got to congratulate Australia, we'll be a different team come that game."