'We had a discussion': Louis Rees-Zammit move the right call says Pat Lam

Bristol Bears boss Pat Lam believes that Wales star Louis Rees-Zammit made the right decision in moving back to the wing from full-back, where he has played 12 times for club and country since before Christmas, and says the switch will be permanent.

Rees-Zammit scored a try in the 94-33 hammering the Bears received from Northampton Saints two weeks ago after moving back to the wing for the first time since scoring a try in the Champions Cup win over the Scarlets on December 6.

And Lam says that from now on, Rees-Zammit, 25, who has scored seven tries for the Bears this season, will be a world-class winger who can play full-back and will be more dangerous, especially with the way he likes his side to give wingers space.

“Zam was really keen to play full-back, but the biggest thing is he loves to score tries and is a world-class try scorer. And what he quickly realised, he was a British Lion as a wing. He wants to be, again. He’s a world-class winger.

“We had a discussion, and he said that he’d like to go back on the wing. You know, obviously, he’s had some injuries and sickness, and I said, ‘Mate, it’s great’.

“One of the things I want to be really clear about is that I always ask them, ‘Which jersey do you want?’ And when they tell me they want to play this one, okay. ‘All right, let’s see how you go’.

“Every time he’s played on the wing for us, he’s scored tries because our game creates space for the wingers. He’s not necessarily wasted. I think it depends on your game plan. And so you can be wasted on the wing if your game plan doesn’t create space for the wingers.

“I love the fact that he was honest enough to come and say, ‘Look, Pat, I really want to try playing at full-back’. So basically, he wants to be a world-class winger who can cover full-back,” said Lam.

Meanwhile, the Bears look set to have fly-half AJ MacGinty back for the local derby with Bath for the first time since he damaged his Achilles tendon in the first Gallagher PREM game of the season against Leicester Tigers in September.

MacGinty is back in full training, and Lam will consider him for selection, which would allow him to move Tom Jordan to full-back, which he started the season before assuming the playmaker role.