The All Black utility loose forward is in the curious position of not knowing what he will be doing after this tour.
He comes off contract at the end of the year and has not been named in any Super Rugby side yet, strangely, he is in no rush to commit to anything and says that whatever he ends up doing, he does not believe this tour will close the door on his international career.
"I have a couple of options, which is nice, and I am just going to take my time and chew over the information, Thomson said.
"I have a pretty big task ahead of me with the All Blacks and that is the main focus for now.
"I love being an All Black and there is nothing greater in world rugby than being an All Black so it is still a massive drive. There are a lot of things that need to be calculated so I need to make sure I have got all the information."
He is not divulging much detail about what his offshore options are. The Japanese market had shown interest but the season there is short and well into business.
Having started an All Black test in the last 15 months, he qualifies for a work visa to play in Europe and there have been murmurings that an English club is interested. But nor has he ruled out the prospect of squeezing into Super Rugby.
The Highlanders have named only 31 players and they have the capacity to contract 32.
"There can be [a place for him in the Highlanders]," he says.
"There are options - New Zealand is certainly not a closed-off option. There are pros and cons to both scenarios [playing offshore or staying in New Zealand]. New Zealand rugby is exciting and fast-paced and it does take a toll on the body.
There are other options that may preserve your career and give you a bit of a freshen-up and they are financial opportunities as well."
Thomson says he is no hurry to make up his mind and is not being distracted by the lack of certainty. Having barely been used by the All Blacks all season, he is determined to make the most of any game time he does get to push for a starting berth in the final two tests.
- Gregor Paul
