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No sign of 'Rees-Zammit for Wales' calls dying down ahead of the Six Nations

By Josh Raisey
Louis Rees-Zammit (second left) celebrates one of his Gloucester tries in December (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Very few people would have known the name of Gloucester’s 18-year-old winger Louis Rees-Zammit two months ago, but he is now one of the most talked about players in Wales and England. 

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While he made his debut at the end of last season, becoming the Cherry and Whites’ youngest ever Premiership player, it was only during a barnstorming December that he truly announced himself, racking up five league tries, the second-most this season so far, and being named the Gallagher Premiership player of the month. 

Since then, pandamonium has ensued. Eddie Jones has set his sights on the Welsh-born player, which ignited calls for the teenager to be called up for Wales to end the interest from their bitterest rival. 

That fear of losing him to England has abated as Rees-Zammit has said that he only intends on playing for Wales. Yet, the campaign for a call-up to Wayne Pivac’s Six Nations squad has not died down. 

While it has been pointed out that one good month does not necessarily warrant international selection, Warren Gatland took a similar punt on another 18-year-old in 2010 – George North – which proved to be a stroke of genius. 

The idea is that if a player is good enough, they are old enough, and the Gloucester wing has shown the raw talent and confidence to thrive at Test level at what is the beginning of a new World Cup cycle. 

Even though this may be a hasty selection, the rationale is that he will be an established international come 2023. 

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Furthermore, it has been stressed that a call-up to the national squad does not necessarily mean he will play for his country in the Six Nations. However, being immersed into such an environment can only be beneficial for a young player. 

The thing that goes against the 18-year-old currently is the strength in depth that Wales have on the wing. With Josh Adams, Owen Lane, Steff Evans, Hallam Amos, North, Johnny McNicholl and possibly even the returning Liam Williams all competing to start out wide for Wales, Rees-Zammit may be surplus to requirements at this stage. 

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However, if he were a centre, a call-up would surely be in the offing given the crisis that Wales have there. 

It is not beyond reason to say that Rees-Zammit may make it into Wales’ training squad in the next few weeks. But even if he doesn’t, the fact that so many people are having such a conversation is a sign of the impact he has already made. 

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Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 10 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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