Louis Rees-Zammit ‘excited’ for Jonny May showdown

Louis Rees-Zammit ‘excited’ for Jonny May showdown

Wales wing Louis Rees-Zammit is excited by the prospect of sharing the Six Nations stage with his fellow box-office entertainer, England finisher Jonny May.

The Gloucester team-mates are set for top billing when the Welsh host their bitter rivals 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.

A good show

“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.”

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.

Louis Rees-Zammit relishing Jonny May showdown

Wales welcome England to Cardiff in Round 3 of the Guinness Six Nations with their Grand Slam hopes still alive after narrowly beating Ireland and Scotland in the opening two weeks – with both opponents having a man sent off during the game.

Rees-Zammit has been one of the shining stars of the 2021 Championship, with the 20-year-old sensation scoring a try against Ireland and then two more against Scotland in a Player of the Match display, including an exquisite solo score from a chip over the top.

Meanwhile, May took sole possession of second spot on England’s all-time try-scoring list with his 32nd international dot down against Italy in Round 2 and the young Welshman is eager to test himself against his club teammate on the biggest stage.

“I train with him [May] every day and learn a lot from him. It’s going to be interesting to actually play against him,” said Rees-Zammit.

“I did in the autumn [when England won 24-13 in Llanelli during the Autumn Nations Cup], but he wasn’t the opposite winger. It’s a bit different this time and it should be a good show – I’m sure Jonny will say he’s excited to play against me, and I’m the same.

“We’ve got a massive game against England and then have Italy and France away. They’re going to be two big Tests as well.

“We’re going to be as motivated as ever to go into that game and try and get a win. The boys will be absolutely buzzing and we’ll go all guns blazing and, hopefully, we put on a performance that gets a result.

“It helps getting the first two wins, but by no means does that win you the trophy. It’s head-down now, back to training on and then put in a performance against England.”

Rees-Zammit only made his international debut against France in October and is yet to hit double figures in international caps.

Yet his dazzling performances during the opening two rounds of the 2021 Guinness Six Nations have propelled him into the limelight, with the likes of legends-turned pundits Jeremy Guscott and Jonathan Davies declaring that a star was born during the dramatic 25-24 victory over Scotland.

“I turned my phone on for a split second [after the game], and it was going mad! I’m not focussed on that, though, I’m enjoying the win with the boys,” added Rees-Zammit.

“We’ve worked so hard as a group to try and get a performance and wins. We know it wasn’t pretty, but all that matters is getting the five points.”