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Louis Rees-Zammit’s star quality in Six Nations needs to be seen by wide audience
It is hard to overstate the importance of the Six Nations when it comes to selling rugby to the floating voter. This year’s tournament is only two weekends old and yet already it is catapulting the game into the collective consciousness faster than you can say the words Louis Rees-Zammit.
Wales’ 25-24 triumph at Murrayfield and France’s victory in Dublin not only maintained the early trend of away success – for the second time in three years there have been four away wins in the opening two rounds – but the games were scattered with enough drama to satisfy even the most casual armchair fan. If England’s dismissal of Italy was routine, Jonny May’s spectacular airborne score was another snapshot of how the Six Nations can elevate the game’s media profile to new heights.
It sets things up beautifully for round three later this month, with England suddenly bound for Cardiff to meet a revitalised Wales team who, against all predictions, sit two from two. At 17-3 down against the Scots late in the first half such a prospect seemed remote but the enduring appeal of the Six Nations lies in its capacity to tease and test the soundest of assumptions.
There is also a thought-provoking lesson here for those who claim the tournament does not necessarily need the oxygen of free-to-air coverage. The private equity firm CVC is acquiring 14.5% of the competition’s commercial rights as part of a £365m five-year deal, with the existing television contract shared between BBC and ITV expiring at the end of this season. It is a lot of much-needed cash but at what precise cost?
Imagine if Scotland v England on the opening weekend had been behind a pay wall, witnessed by a fraction of the 8.7 million audience who watched it on ITV. Ditto Wales’s gripping comeback on Saturday in front of a BBC tea-time audience. Selling out to CVC and a pay-per-view future may make business sense but it risks eroding precisely the shared magic ingredient that gives the Six Nations its enduring widespread appeal.
Wales’s new shooting star Rees-Zammit – or “Rees Lightning” as he is already being dubbed – is an ideal case in point. The 20-year-old from Cardiff has already been catching the eye in the Premiership with Gloucester without nationwide fanfare but the two tries and the assist that broke Scottish hearts have now elevated him to a whole new audience. “A star is born,” suggested the great Jonathan Davies and it was easy to understand his enthusiasm.
Cameron Redpath dazzled during the first round for Scotland in a dramatic match for the casual armchair fan. Photograph: Andrew Boyers/Action Images/Reuters
Like Cameron Redpath for Scotland the week before, Rees-Zammit just looks a natural at the top level. The kick ahead for his second try, in particular, was a wonderfully flowing skill executed at full pace for a touchdown with echoes of JJ Williams or Gareth Edwards. There was also the brilliant long banana kick that, along with Wales’s lineout excellence and defensive spirit helped to exploit the opportunity granted by Zander Fagerson’s second-half red card.
It is easy enough to say Wales’s wins have come against sides reduced to 14 men but, equally, Wayne Pivac’s side have won the try count both times and, with their injuries easing, look re-energised after a shaky autumn. Whatever half-back and midfield pairing they choose it is also worth noting Wales have won both their opening two Six Nations game on only five previous occasions; they have subsequently gone on to collect the title four times in 2005, 2008, 2012 and 2019.
Quick Guide Six Nations team of the weekend Show S Hogg (Scotland); L Rees-Zammit (Wales), W Halaholo (Wales), G Fickou (France), L Williams (Wales); M Jalibert (France), A Dupont (France); W Jones (Wales), K Owens (Wales), K Sinckler (England), P Willemse (France), I Henderson (Ireland), R Ruddock (Ireland), J Tipuric (Wales), G Alldritt (France).
Something for England to ponder, then. They were relatively comfortable 24-13 winners in Llanelli less than three months ago but, despite their six-try win against Italy on Saturday, have yet to fully convince this year. Eddie Jones, for one, is taking nothing for granted. “Wales is always a different game down at the Principality. It’s about developing the right mindset to play down there. We’d also like our set piece to be more dominant and we’d like to be better at taking our opportunities when we create them. They’ll be the two areas we work on. There’s nothing wrong with the skills or ability of our players but sometimes little indecisions can cause the attack not to be as sharp as it should be.”
The try bonus point on Saturday, at least, keeps Jones’s side in the title hunt. They won the title last season despite a slow start in Paris but France’s hard-earned first win in Dublin for a decade has cemented them as the team to beat as they prepare to host Scotland.
Ireland, by contrast, have lost both their opening championship fixtures for the first time this century and must now go to Rome to face a youthful Italy side showing signs of improvement. Jones – “They could mature into a pretty handy team” – is among those who believe the idea of ditching them from the championship should be resisted.
Ederington, Louis
EDERINGTON, DR. Louis Havis PhD
Louis was born May, 10, 1944, and spent his childhood years in Warren, Arkansas. His parents were Mary Catherine Bayliss Ederington and Louis Wilson Ederington. He loved spending time on his parents' farm, riding his horse, Danny and driving his jeep. His great-grandfather, John T Ederington, bought up cotton from the local farmers, and took the bales down river to New Orleans; he then brought back cotton seed and other supplies. In 1869, he built a store, J.T. Ederington’s on the courthouse square. His grandfather, Louis Ederington, and later his father were owners of the store which lasted into the 1970s.
Louis attended Hendrix College from 1962-1966, where he developed two loves: first, Economics, and second, his life partner, Anne Jewell, whom he met in the December of 1963. Anne and Louis were married June 11, 1966, and began their graduate studies at Washington University in St Louis, Missouri. Louis obtained his PhD from Washington University. He then accepted a teaching position at Georgia State University, so he, Anne, and baby son Ben came to Atlanta. The family was soon joined by another son Josh, and they lived in Morningside, where Louis commuted by bus to GSU.
Louis was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1978; his doctors had learned about a new drug, so he and Anne spent nearly eight months at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, while the boys lived with their grandparents. After his cancer treatment, he wanted to explore new possibilities, so he decided to apply for a Fulbright Professorship. That took him and the family to Bucharest, Romania for six months in 1980. This was in the time of Ceausescu, so he could not have his own classes, but other faculty members would provide him with lecture opportunities. The boys went to the American School, and Anne also worked there. They also traveled a great deal around Romania.
At GSU, Louis was beginning to move toward Finance, and spent some of his time with the Finance faculty. When he, Anne and the boys moved back to Washington University in 1984, he made the switch permanent. He spent five years at Washington University in St Louis, until the boys graduated from high school, and went off to college. Then he again started exploring other options. He was given the Oklahoma Bankers Chair in 1989, and he and Anne moved to the University of Oklahoma in Norman and the now Michael Price College of Business. They spent 25 years at OU, renovating an older home and enjoying all of the theatre and sports and art on the campus.
With the break-up of the Soviet Union, a former colleague was at USAID, and thought Louis might be interested in working on economic restructuring in the Republics. Louis was interested, and he and Anne decided to move to Tbilisi, The Republic of Georgia in 1993, for a year and a half. He had three different Deputy Prime Ministers that he worked for, two of which were very good. He also went on the advance team for Shevardnadze to Washington DC.
Louis, with Anne went on sabbaticals, teaching and doing research at several Universities: the University of Otago, in Dunedin, New Zealand; Singapore Management University in Singapore; the University of Queensland, in Brisbane, Australia; the University of Melbourne, in Melbourne, Australia. Louis was given the Michael Price Chair in Finance, and the George Lynn Cross Professorship in Research. When he retired he had many of his former students come back to OU for a series of seminars. His students wrote tributes including the words wise, collegial, generous, honest, and rigorous. On retirement he was designated Emeritus.
Louis and Anne moved back to Atlanta in the summer of 2014, to Lenbrook. They were often traveling, including Gorilla Tracking, birding, and Lou’s love, train travel. Louis was always the photographer, snapping many lasting memories. They also frequently went back to OU for teaching, research, and games. He was diagnosed with CMML, a chronic leukemia, in late 2018. He and Anne continued to travel throughout 2019. But the outbreak of the Covid pandemic put travel plans on hold, and eventually his leukemia became acute. We wish to thank his doctor, Ethan Tolbert, MD for his kindness in helping Louis with his many difficulties; and the Crossroads Hospice team who aided him in the last three days of his life.
Louis is pre-deceased by his parents, and his older brother, John Bayliss Ederington. He is survived by his wife; his sons and daughter-in-laws, Louis Benjamin Ederington and Elizabeth Matthews and William Joshua Ederington and Jenny Minier; and his five grandchildren, Katherine, John, and Emily Matthews –Ederington, and Sam and Max Ederington. He is also survived by his sister-in-law Peggy Ederington and her children, Beth Ederington, and Charles and Debbie Ederington and their children; and his cousins, Nancy Huckabay, Stephen Hurley, Mark Hurley, Joyce Alworth, Jenny Pugh-Henandez, Mary Pugh Manning, Sondra Shepherd, Lanier Bayliss, and John Mark Bayliss; and his second family, his mother-in-law Irma Jewell, Judy Jewell, Becky and Rick Engborg, Joe and Jan Jewell, and John Jewell, plus numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.