Watch: 'Rees-Zammit has come up with an extraordinary play here'

Louis Rees-Zammit has carved out an enviable reputation for scoring tries but Gloucester were left celebrating his ability on the other side of the ball on Saturday when he made a remarkable try-saving intervention against Bristol in the Gallagher Premiership.

A thrilling top-flight match at Kingsholm was deadlocked at 21 points each when the visiting Charles Piutau careered through the Gloucester defensive line on halfway in the 55th minute. Away he sprinted into the clear and with support on either shoulder, he chose to pass to his right nearing the 22 to take out the last defender and set back-rower Dan Thomas up for what seemed to be a certain try.

Thomas, though, made the cardinal error of only carrying the ball one-handed as he dashed towards the line. This allowed Rees-Zammit, who seemed to be chasing a lost cause, the invitation to ride to the rescue as rather than having to tackle the forward in a last-gasp attempt to try and prevent what looked like a certain score, he cannily swung his right arm at the ball to the delight of the Gloucester supporters.

His pinpoint connection managed to spill the ball from the grasp of Thomas and it went over the goal line and then beyond the dead ball line, leaving Bristol with an attacking five-metre scrum rather than five points for the try that should have rewarded the fabulous linebreak from the chance-creating Piutau.

The BT Sport commentary team likened the mishap as similar to what befell Freddie Burns when he seemed certain to score a Bath try in a 2018 Heineken Champions Cup match versus Toulouse. On that occasion, Burns has beaten the cover and was saluting the crowd at The Rec before touching down, an error that allowed Maxime Medard to nip in, swing his hand and dislodge the ball from Burns’ one-handed grasp.

An incredible play from Louis Rees-Zammit! ?

How big could that prove to be?!#GallagherPrem pic.twitter.com/qax7h9lEb1

— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) October 15, 2022

Commentator Ali Eykyn said after Thomas had been denied: “Goodness me, Rees-Zammit has come up with an extraordinary play here. Dan Thomas, well he was booking his restaurant for the evening. He was thinking about the stories he would tell. It has been batted out of his hands.”

Lawrence Dallaglio added: “Piutau goes through the gap and sets up what you think is a try on a plate for Thomas but have a look at that. Oh my word, Freddie Burns all over again.”

Referee Wayne Barnes reviewed the play with his TMO and after deeming there was no foul play involved in the Piutau linebreak, he said: “Made dead by red so it is a scrum, white ball.”

Bristol did score a try shortly after play restarted, but they were unable to hold on for the win as Gloucester clinched their 31-28 victory with a late Adam Hastings penalty.