Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
NZ NZ

'Not at all' - England had no bearing on Rees-Zammit selection

By Online Editors
Louis Rees-Zammit in action for Gloucester (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Wales boss Wayne Pivac has hailed Gloucester wing Louis Rees-Zammit as “a great finisher” after handing the 18-year-old a Six Nations call-up.

ADVERTISEMENT

Rees-Zammit, who has scored nine tries in ten games this season, is among five uncapped players in Pivac’s 38-man squad.

He is joined by fellow international rookies Nick Tompkins, Johnny McNicholl, WillGriff John and Will Rowlands as Wales build towards a Six Nations opener against Italy on February 1.

Whether Rees-Zammit makes the starting line-up or bench – he would join an elite club of 18-year-olds to play for Wales like George North and Tom Prydie – remains to be seen.

But Pivac is a fan of his blistering ability that has torn up the Gallagher Premiership and Heineken Champions Cup this term.

(Continue reading below…)

The Rugby Pod take a look at some BIG transfer rumours 

Video Spacer

“I am always a great believer that if you are good enough, you are old enough, and he is showing signs he’s maturing as a rugby player at a very young age,” Pivac said. “He’s got gas, which at the top level of the game you can’t beat, and he is a great finisher.

“He’s not the finished product, as he knows and we know, but it will be great to get him in the environment and start to work with him.”

ADVERTISEMENT

England are believed to have shown interest in Rees-Zammit, but Pivac dismissed that as having any bearing on his Wales selection. “Not at all,” he added. “You only have to look at his social media page. He’s got a big Welsh flag there. He’s Welsh through and through. Having spoken to him, he’s over the moon. He loves playing rugby.”

Rees-Zammit is among ten English-based players in Pivac’s group, along with the likes of Saracens centre Tompkins, Sale Sharks prop John and Wasps lock Rowlands. There is also a recall for Toulon scrum-half Rhys Webb, who last played Test rugby just over two years ago.

By joining Toulon, he ruled himself out of Wales contention because he did not meet the minimum 60-cap selection criteria for players plying their trade outside the country. Toulon recently agreed to Webb’s early release from his contract for family reasons, and he will rejoin the Ospreys next term.

ADVERTISEMENT

He was originally eligible for Wales again from July 1, but the Welsh Rugby Union announced that Wales’ Professional Rugby Board (PRB) had agreed to an application from Webb for a six-month dispensation, during which time Pivac can consider him.

Tompkins, 24, represented England Saxons in 2016 and is an England Under-20 World Cup winner, but he qualifies for Wales through his Wrexham-born grandmother. Despite Tompkins playing for the Saxons, he was not ‘captured’ by England because their opposition – South Africa A – were not South Africa’s officially recognised international second team at that time.

“I took notice when he carved the Scarlets up in the Champions Cup when he was about 20,” Pivac said of Tompkins. “I found out he was eligible afterwards. I’ve been watching his career ever since, to be quite honest. He has gone very well.

“He’s a young fella who has come through and is really confident in his game at the moment. He’s at a great club and has come on a long way in a short space of time. We think he’s ready for this level of the game. He has always known he’s been able to go either way (select Wales or England).

“He’s been living in England and gone through the age-group. But in terms of committing to a national team, he’s made that commitment and we are very pleased.”

Elsewhere, fit-again Bath number eight Taulupe Faletau – who missed the World Cup due to a collarbone injury – is back, along with recalled Gloucester back Owen Williams, but there are no places for props Nicky Smith and Samson Lee.

– Press Association 

WATCH: RugbyPass have made something truly special with the Barbarians rugby team

Video Spacer
ADVERTISEMENT

Join free

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | Episode 6

Sam Warburton | The Big Jim Show | Full Episode

Japan Rugby League One | Sungoliath v Eagles | Full Match Replay

Japan Rugby League One | Spears v Wild Knights | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 10 | Six Nations Final Round Review

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | How can New Zealand rugby beat this Ireland team

Beyond 80 | Episode 5

Rugby Europe Men's Championship Final | Georgia v Portugal | Full Match Replay

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
Jon 9 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”?

35 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Louis Rees-Zammit signs for Roc Nation ahead of his Kansas visit Louis Rees-Zammit signs for Roc Nation ahead of his Kansas visit
Search