And Ben Smith, also soak up some applause.
Thomson was the star of the show in Invercargill last night, with Smith not far behind, as the Highlanders stormed home like a southerly in Foveaux Strait, dispatching the Rebels 43-12.
Thomson, fresh off a week away from rugby, was the man of the hour, scoring three tries and popping up all over the paddock to lead the Highlanders to a convincing victory after the match was tied 12-12 at the break.
One wonders what sort of mileage he racked up but he would put an Energizer battery to shame, with the blindside flanker crediting his energy levels to his week off.
"I felt pretty fresh tonight. The best the body has felt for a while. We got some front-foot ball and we were going forward and I managed to pop up in the right places," Thomson said.
"I can't think of the last time I scored three tries in a game. Never in Super rugby, anyway."
He said that mentally, just as much as physically, it was good to get away from the game for a week, where he did some conditioning and gave his body a rest.
"It is a long season and you have to pace yourself. It is the same schedule week in, week out, so that mental side can be just as tough as the physical side."
The All Black flanker picked up his first try in the dying stages of the first half, then picked up another two in the second 40 minutes.
That first five-pointer was crucial, as it let the Highlanders draw level at halftime. They had rather spluttered through the match in the opening half.
Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph said he was confident the attack from the Highlanders would click.
"We had played a lot of rugby but we were just doing things a little hectic. But we had to play rugby against them. We wanted to attack them and be quite direct with them early on. But they met that challenge quite well," Joseph said.
"But, if the endeavour is there, then you generally get the feeling it will come right eventually. And, thankfully, it did.
"We probably tried to win the game too early. It is not club rugby, it is not ITM Cup rugby. It is Super rugby, where, defensively, teams are very organised with equal power and strength.
You really need to build a game, so that would be something we need to work on.
"I thought we were quite lucky to get away with a draw in the first half ... but, in the end, to score that many tries and play with that sort of width, then the whole team has to play well."
The home side appeared to have had a feed of that famous Bluff delicacy at the break after an opening half where it huffed and puffed but barely got in, scoring two tries in the last 10 minutes of the half.
The Highlanders, though, came out after the break with all guns blazing and scored 31 unanswered points in the second 40 minutes.
They scored seven tries in all, securing their first four-try bonus point of the season.
If Thomson was the man of the moment, his fellow Otago man, fullback Smith, was not far behind, showing his full array of tricks and making metres every time he got the ball.
Lock Josh Bekhuis had his best game of the season and Jarrad Hoeata made a successful debut for the season.
The Rebels became a rabble in the second half after starting out well. They dropped off too many tackles and their defensive line speed was poor as the game wore on.
The Highlanders' attack clicked into top gear and Smith's last try was a classic back move, where he was moved into space and then put on the after-burners to fly through the gap.
