'It should be a good show' - Wales sensation Louis Rees-Zammit ready to take on Gloucester teammate Jonny May
Louis Rees-Zammit admits he is excited by the prospect of sharing the Six Nations stage with his fellow box-office entertainer Jonny May.
The Gloucester team-mates are set for top billing when Wales host England in a fortnight’s time, having already left a lasting impression on this season’s tournament.
Rees-Zammit has scored three tries in two games, including a brilliant solo touchdown that successfully completed mission improbable at Murrayfield as Wales fought back from 17-3 adrift to beat Scotland by a point.
The Wales wing’s show-stopping performance came just a few hours after England speedster May collected his 32nd Test try, a memorable acrobatic effort that took him second on England’s all-time list behind Rory Underwood.
And among the many mouth-watering head-to-head battles in store at the Principality Stadium, Rees-Zammit versus May is likely to set pulses racing like no other.
“I train with him every day and learn a lot from him,” Rees-Zammit said.
“It’s going to be interesting to actually play against him. I did in the autumn, but he wasn’t the opposite winger on that occasion.
“It is a bit different this time. It should be a good show. I am sure Jonny will say he is excited to play against me, and I am the same.
“Obviously, it’s a massive game. The boys will be absolutely buzzing, and we will go all guns blazing for that game.”
Victory for Wales – they have beaten England seven times from the last 10 meetings in Cardiff – would see them win the Triple Crown ahead of away matches against Italy and France next month.
And 20-year-old Rees-Zammit’s spectacular arrival on the international scene has given Wales boss Wayne Pivac another destructive weapon among three-quarter options that also include George North, Liam Williams, Josh Adams and Jonathan Davies.
“When I first came into camp for the last Six Nations it was a shock, even in training,” added Rees-Zammit, who only made his Gloucester debut in April 2018.
“Obviously, I didn’t play, but in training I was blowing after five minutes! I’ve worked with the strength and conditioning squad and all the management, and I am a lot fitter now.
“The intensity is a lot different at international level, but it is similar players.”
Rees-Zammit’s Murrayfield masterclass left television pundits like Jonathan Davies and Jeremy Guscott enthusing about his quality, which was underlined by a stunning second try 10 minutes from time.
“I was calling for the ball nice and early as I saw there was a lot of space on the outside,” he said.
“Thankfully, Willis (Halaholo) gave it to me and I tried to use my gas to get on the outside of their winger.
“I did that and then saw there was no back-field (cover), which is always nice to see. It gives you that opportunity to put it (kick) through and try and get the bounce. It bounced up lovely for me.”
Wales will now target a fifth win from six Tests – a stark contrast to last year’s run of six successive defeats – when England come calling.
“We are nowhere near the finished article,” Rees-Zammit added.
“We are not overly happy with our performances in the first couple of weeks, so we’ve got a lot of work-ons. We will take that into next week and the week after, building to England.”
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In the fine tradition of Irish rugby, Leinster cheat well and for some reason only known to whoever referees them, they are allowed to get away with it every single game. If teams have not got the physicality up front to stop them getting the ball, they will win every single game. They take out players beyond the ruck and often hold them on the ground. Those that are beyond the ruck and therefore offside, hover there to cause distraction but also to join the next ruck from the side thereby stopping the jackal. The lineout prior to the second try on Saturday. 3 Leinster players left the lineout before the ball was thrown and were driving the maul as soon as the player hit the ground and thereby getting that valuable momentum. They scrummage illegally, with the looshead turning in to stop the opposing tighthead from pushing straight and making it uncomfortable for the hooker. The tighthead takes a step and tries to get his opposite loosehead to drop the bind. Flankers often ‘move up’ and actually bind on the prop and not remain bound to the second row. It does cause chaos and is done quickly and efficiently so that referees are blinded by the illegal tactics. I am surprised opposition coaches when they meet referees before games don’t mention it. I am also surprised that they do not go to the referees group and ask them to look at the tactics used and referee them properly. If they are the better team and win, fair play but a lot of their momentum is gained illegally and therefore it is not a level playing field.
Go to commentsI’d be fascinated to see what other candidates you all might have for the Lions captaincy role. Let me know, below 👍
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