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'I don't think he is healthy': Jones butts into Rees-Zammit debate
By Liam Heagney
England boss Eddie Jones has suggested that Louis Rees-Zammit was excluded from the Wales team to play at Twickenham on Saturday because he isn’t fit enough to play, not because of a lack of his best form. Speculation emerged on Wednesday morning that the 21-year-old winger was set to be axed by Wayne Pivac, a selection decision confirmed at 11:30am on Thursday when Wales named their XV at the same time Jones unveiled his English picks.
Rees-Zammit, who last summer toured South Africa with Warren Gatland’s Lions, had been a regular Wales selection since making an October 2020 debut away to France. However, despite starting in five of his country’s six Autumn Nations and Six Nations games so far this season, he was excluded from their matchday 23 for London.
On the surface, it looked like a massive decision to drop Rees-Zammit, but Jones was adamant at his 11:45am media briefing that the youngster had been excluded due to injury and not form despite a criticised performance in the round two loss to Scotland following on from the opening round loss to Ireland.
“They have left Zammit out because I don’t think he is fit, mate,” said Jones, when quizzed about the absence of the flyer from the Welsh line-up. “I don’t think he is healthy. If you are a racehorse owner you wouldn’t be putting him out on the track, mate. You’d have him in the stables for a while.”
Speaking at his media briefing, which began 45 minutes after Jones began his England team announcement press session, Pivac suggested straightaway that Rees-Zammit was a form decision. "It was a tough call for Louis to take. Everyone wants to be selected. For us, the experience of the other two [Josh Adams and Alex Cuthbert], work rate off the ball and those sort of things are going to come into play."
How did Rees-Zammit take that demotion? "No different to any other player,” continued Pivac. “He is disappointed and he will be frustrated. We expect him to go and work hard and come back stronger.”
It was later in the media briefing when Jones’ racehorse and stables remark about Rees-Zammit was put to Pivac. “Has Eddie got spies in our training sessions? He picked up an ankle injury in the Ireland warm-up and he hasn’t been at 100 per cent. But we have gone with experience and a bit of work-rate across the field.”
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Latest Comments
It is if he thinks he’s got hold of the ball and there is at least one other player between him and the ball carrier, which is why he has to reach around and over their heads. Not a deliberate action for me.
Go to commentsI understand, but England 30 years ago were a set piece focused kick heavy team not big on using backs.
Same as now.
South African sides from any period will have a big bunch of forwards smashing it up and a first five booting everything in their own half.
NZ until recently rarely if ever scrummed for penalties; the scrum is to attack from, broken play, not structured is what we’re after.
Same as now.
These are ways of playing very ingrained into the culture.
If you were in an English club team and were off to Fiji for a game against a club team you’d never heard of and had no footage of, how would you prepare?
For a forward dominated grind or would you assume they will throw the ball about because they are Fijian?
A Fiji way. An English way.
An Australian way depends on who you’ve scraped together that hasn’t been picked off by AFL or NRL, and that changes from generation to generation a lot of the time.
Actually, maybe that is their style. In fact, yes they have a style.
Nevermind. Fuggit I’ve typed it all out now.
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