'We put him at 13, and on a plastic pitch with lots of space, he just absolutely tore it up'
Alex Guest is not in the least bit surprised that Louis Rees-Zammit has made a blockbusting impact on Test match rugby.
As Gloucester Rugby’s junior academy manager, Guest worked closely with the Wales wing sensation after he arrived in the west country as a 16-year-old Hartpury College student.
And in the space of four remarkable years, Rees-Zammit has gone from starting his rugby apprenticeship to graduating on the Guinness Six Nations stage by scoring a stunning match-winning try for Wales against Scotland at Murrayfield.
He is also being widely tipped to tour South Africa with the British and Irish Lions this summer if that three-Test tour takes place.
Guest, though, knew from the moment he witnessed Rees-Zammit’s raw talent that he could be something special.
“We’d had Louis in for a couple of sessions with the junior academy at Gloucester, and then he played for our under-17s against Cardiff Blues under-18s,” Guest told the PA news agency.
“We put him at outside centre, and on a plastic pitch with lots of space, he just absolutely tore it up. We knew early doors that he had something exciting.
“He is a thoroughbred, and his attitude and willingness to understand about what needed to happen to go the next level, you couldn’t fault it.
“When I was coaching him, I probably frustrated him at times! But that’s my role, to check and challenge his understanding of skills and when appropriate to use them.
“He would play wing for Hartpury, and we would try and push him as a 13. The only reason to do that was for him to try and get his hands on the ball as much as possible so he was not relying on his pace all the time.”
Rees-Zammit was so good that he by-passed Gloucester’s senior academy and made his first team debut at the age of 17 against Bath at Kingsholm.
Gloucester's Ed Slater discusses focusing on the positives of quarantine, learning from past mistakes, career influences and Louis Rees-Zammit.https://t.co/sGX5RenyqY
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 13, 2020
“He had played in an A League game against Bristol at Clifton,” Guest added.
“He came on, and I think there was only about 10 minutes left. He took a kick-off – you can’t really write this stuff – beat four forwards from his own 22, then beat the scrum-half and full-back.
“And as luck would have it, where he scored his try, Johan Ackermann (then Gloucester head coach) and David Humphreys (then Gloucester rugby director) were stood behind the posts. He could not have scored the try in a better position!
Rees-Zammit showed his electric pace to pick up three tries this weekend. pic.twitter.com/LG1a7pefBA
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) December 29, 2019
“His first year in the senior squad, it was almost like everything he touched turned to gold.
“There was a game away to Connacht, where he beat somebody, was being tackled into touch, but threw a blind off-load, it went to hand and we won the game.
“There were a couple of times when he would be running at full tilt, and he is picking up passes off his toes. For most people that’s a 50-50 situation, but it was almost like his hands have got magnets in them and he is not going to drop the ball!”
It is difficult to comprehend that Rees-Zammit, who only turned 20 a fortnight ago, has played just 33 games for Gloucester and Wales.
But 21 tries across that career for club and country highlight what rich quality he possesses.
'I train with him every day and learn a lot from him'https://t.co/sulmdBhLLK
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 15, 2021
“Whatever level he has played at and whatever challenge we have thrown at him, he has risen to it,” Guest said.
“He has never been about ‘just give me the ball, and I will score’. He has always been a team player, and he will use other attributes to help the team win.
“He knows that he is quick, but if you ask him how quick, he will always make a joke and play it down. He knows if he gets the ball, he will back himself. At every level, he has proven he can beat the best players.
“When you are performing like he is at the moment, you have just got to ride the wave. I think he is going to be an exciting player for a long time.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Super rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
10 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
10 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
16 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
16 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
10 Go to comments