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Rees-Zammit set to be axed by Wales for England game - reports
Wayne Pivac is reportedly set to explode a Guinness Six Nations selection bombshell on Thursday by axing Louis Rees-Zammit from his Wales matchday 23 for this Saturday’s round three match away to England in London. The 21-year-old, who last summer toured South Africa with Warren Gatland’s Lions, has been a regular selection since making an October 2020 debut away to France.
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The youngster went on to start in eight of Wales’ nine games 2020/21 Autumn Nations Cup and Six Nations campaigns and since his return from the Lions, he has started in five of his country’s six Autumn Nations and Six Nations games. However, that run of selection is now set to dramatically end according to reports coming out of Wales on Wednesday morning.
Pivac is set to confirm his Wales team to face England at 11:30am Thursday and the headline pre-announcement speculation is that the name of Rees-Zammit will be nowhere to be seen on the teamsheet. Instead, rather than running out at Twickenham for his country, the winger will be released back to Gloucester for their Gallagher Premiership away to Leicester on Saturday.
WalesOnline have reported: “Any England-based players are required to return to their club sides if not involved in the matchday squad, as is the case with Rees-Zammit. With Josh Adams having recovered from injury, it now seems likely that he will take his place in the side alongside winger Alex Cuthbert.
“Despite the impressive performance of Ospreys winger Cuthbert against Scotland in his first Six Nations start in five years, this is still quite a selection bombshell from Wayne Pivac. While Rees-Zammit hasn’t recently hit the heights he previously hit last year, his place in the squad had looked relatively assured until recently, However, Pivac has seemingly seen fit to dispense with his services to deal with the threats of Eddie Jones’ England.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Best way to deal with all of this is to play another game.
117 Go to commentsIt’s 12-15 games Luke. Ringrose has barely played in 2024 and Henshaw and Keenan have also been out for spells in the same time period. There are always injuries and for younger players to play with the likes of Barrett will be great for them. It’s just looking for negatives where there are none.
5 Go to commentsAndy Goode pushing his own agenda with very dubious considerations on refereeing performances. Luke Pearce speaking a bit of French doesn’t make him a good and adequate referee for the Champions Cup final; his latest refereeing performance in particular was not so great.
4 Go to commentsJordie knows that he has to earn the right to put on the jersey, whatever that jersey might be.
5 Go to commentsThe best outside centre in the world at one point. He will be greatly missed.
2 Go to commentsYip his great for the big moments when needed as a safa really enjoy watching him
4 Go to commentsOne that will start to come up from now on is penalties for back pushes during kick chase scrambles. Very difficult to detect. In Croke Park if you replay the Hendy NH try, you will see Furbank push Porter in the back, who collides with Larmour knocking the ball across into Hendy’s path to dot down. A more significant example was in the RWC QTR final where Arendse pushes Fickou into two other French players for the ball to spill into Arendse’s path for him to gather and run in to score SAs first try. Not cheating if you are not caught and very difficult to spot but with kicking becoming so critical I feel its an area that will referreeed/TMO-ed more.
4 Go to commentsWhat a pathetic little twit Andy Goode is, as if we care what he thinks…..😂
117 Go to commentsFoxy has been a wonderful player for the Scarlets and Wales.
2 Go to commentsNika the Georgian is the best referee in the world at the moment. Luckily we will be spared the shite SH refs and Barnes will hopefully remain retired given how shite and embarrassing he was at the RWC.
4 Go to commentsThis is the most exciting game of the summer imo, as we really won’t know in advance how both teams are going to play. - Will Robertson just reproduce his Crusaders tactics from last year, or will there be a conscious effort to borrow from the Hurricanes and Blues, and from the aspects of the ABs world cup strategy that worked well? - England under Borthwick have put in some good performances playing attacking rugby, and some good performances playing kick-oriented defensive rugby. Will Borthwick try to merge them together into a single all-court game, or will he continue switching between different approaches depending on the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition?
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
9 Go to commentsFinals are always tense affairs for the players so I do not expect this to be a spectacle of running rugby unfortunately.
4 Go to commentsBulls***': Ex-England international calls out Eben Etzebeth… Not to his face but from very far away… after he’d left. Checked to make sure he wasn’t in the building.
117 Go to commentsHopefully this will mean a new Auckland league team to support in the west. Big Warriors fan but it’s very, very stale on that front and I’d like the option of another team if it was to watch league again. League needs to step up BIG time if its to get anywhere, another AK team and something from the capitol or south is a must for the game.
3 Go to commentsGood, deep interview, nice job Frankie!
1 Go to commentsNRL players don’t have anywhere near the number of Tests. Some people would be happy having Rest Homes full if 40 yo ex-players walking, or hobbling more like it, into walls. It’s just a game!
4 Go to commentsNOW Razor is worried about ABs getting injured or overplayed! Didn’t bother him last year. He happily played his AB Crusaders.
4 Go to commentsWhat is the World Rugby U20 players born year.
2 Go to comments