Welsh winger 'full of beans and bouncing around' ahead of return
Louis Rees-Zammit is set to give Guinness Six Nations strugglers Wales a major boost by returning to action for his club Gloucester.
The British and Irish Lions wing has not played since suffering an ankle injury during Gloucester’s Gallagher Premiership game against Leicester on Christmas Eve.
Apart from a number of league and European fixtures, he was also ruled out of Wales’ opening Guinness Six Nations appointments with Ireland and Scotland that produced comprehensive defeats.
Rees-Zammit was named in Wales’ Six Nations squad, and after being released back to his club last week, he is now poised to face Harlequins at Kingsholm on Friday.
“He is available for selection,” Gloucester head coach George Skivington said. “He is full of beans and bouncing around. He is definitely good to go.
“I think Wales are probably keen to get him back in next week for the England game, and it is a real positive for us.
“I didn’t think I was going to see him, so I just dismissed him for this period, but Wales released him and he came back last Friday so he could come and train.
“He has been back in and been really positive. He’s had really good energy.
“I think he has been frustrated watching us, feeling he could make a difference, and watching Wales, thinking he could make a difference there.”
Rees-Zammit, who has scored eight tries in 22 Tests, is expected to reclaim a Wales starting place when England arrive in Cardiff on Saturday week.
His last Wales appearance during the Autumn Nations Series defeat against Georgia saw him feature at full-back, so boss Warren Gatland has back-three options with him.
Skivington added: “I think I was the first coach to put him at full-back. I thought it would be a good learning piece for him, catching the ball deep and see if he could open up and find those gaps.
“I think he is a winger, but I do think full-back is a role he can play.
“You have probably got him and (Scotland wing) Duhan van der Merwe, if they get the ball in space, they can do things that others can’t.
“I don’t think it is a bad string to his bow that he can cover both positions.”
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Hi Nick. Thanks for your +++ ongoing analysis. Re Vunivalu, He’s been benched recently and it will be interesting to see what Kiss does with him as we enter the backend of SRP. I’m still not sold.
Go to commentsIn 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.
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