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'He told me I'd never play for Wales': One coach's brutal put-down of a 16-year-old Rees-Zammit
Lions pick Louis Rees-Zammit has revealed how an old coach of his at Cardiff told him at the age of 16 that he would never play for Wales after he chose to go to Hartpury College rather pick somewhere more local to study. The now 20-year-old stuck to his guns, moving to England where he has since gone on to establish himself on the Gallagher Premiership circuit with Gloucester, his form there becoming the stepping stone for his nine-cap breakthrough season with the Six Nations title-winning Wales which has now led to his selection to tour South Africa with the Lions.
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Rees-Zammit’s call-up by Warren Gatland made him the youngest Lions pick since 1959, quite an achievement in sharp contrast to the negative dressing down he was given by an unwitting coach just a few years ago.
Appearing in the latest edition of Rugby Journal, the acclaimed coffee table magazine, Rees-Zammit gave a rare life-and-times style interview that touched on a crucial part of his development – his decision to move from Wales to England to further his education.
Rees-Zammit doesn’t name the coach in the interview but their paths have since crossed at Wales training under Wayne Pivac, resulting in the electric winger giving that person a very wide berth due to what was previously said.
“He told me I would never play for Wales,” explained popular Lions pick Rees-Zammit in the lengthy interview. “It was when I was 16 and had decided to go to Hartpury and he said I couldn’t go to Hartpury and play for the Cardiff Blues and he was like, ‘Make a decision’.
??? A little glimpse of issue 14, featuring @LouisReesZammit, @simsimpam, @ExeterChiefs, @Nomadsrugby, @Saracens, @WorcsWarriors, @UgandaRugby, @Joyapp9, @PGR_RUGBY, @Apollo11Rugby, @MarkRing10, @BOPRugby + more…
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— Rugby Journal (@JournalRugby) June 8, 2021
“It was when I was 16 and had decided to go to Hartpury because I didn’t want to go to a college in Wales,” he continued. “I did go and look at a few colleges around Wales, but there was no comparison – it was the facilities, the social side… Then I went to a Cardiff Blues game and he was there, and he walked up to me and said, ‘That’s going to cost you a Welsh cap’, and walked off. I was a 16-year-old boy. I just thought, ‘Oh my God, have I made the right decision?’
“When I was in the Six Nations camp later, he [the coach] came to two sessions and was shaking everyone’s hand and I just avoided him – I’ve not spoken to him since.”
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Before this week's camp in Jersey, Gatland first collectively spoke to his 2021 squad at an administration day in London last month#LionsRugby
https://t.co/AD4JY5dKSx— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 15, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
1 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
3 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
3 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
3 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
4 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
4 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to comments