5 months ago
The Bristol head of rugby, Pat Lam, has said Louis Rees-Zammit’s caller NFL tilt made him a stronger and much vulnerable rugby player.
The Wales backmost joined nan NFL’s world pathway programme successful January 2024, and was signed by nan Kansas City Chiefs earlier a spell astatine nan Jacksonville Jaguars. He returned to rugby aft 18 months without playing an NFL match, signing for Bristol successful July. Lam said that since signing for nan Bears, nan 24-year-old has been moving to scope lucifer fitness, but that his accrued powerfulness has made it harder for opponents to extremity him.
“It’s made him a much rounded player,” Lam said. “He’ll hit tackles, he’s powerful. I deliberation he fights a agelong clip connected his feet. If you return a small snapshot – a look from a adjacent up [in contact] – you deliberation he’s playing nan NFL, moving his measurement done nan scrimmage statement and nan defenders. The only point they haven’t sewage is pads.
“You look astatine nan alteration of angles, nan speedy feet and nan powerfulness successful nan tackle – he keeps his feet longer. He’s travel backmost successful that beingness crippled a batch better.”
Rees-Zammit played connected nan helping for Wales and Gloucester earlier his NFL sojourn but Lam believes his champion position is full-back – a position supported by two tries he scored successful nan triumph against Newcastle Red Bulls astatine Ashton Gate past Saturday.
“He tin origin carnage erstwhile he runs it backmost but he tin besides kick,” Lam said. “If he couldn’t kick, you’d astir apt person to support him connected nan wing, but he’s sewage a very powerful kick.
“And we saw against Quins, his spot and pursuit is class. He’s very skilful successful that area. He’s only 24 and I spot him arsenic 100% a full-back who tin play wing.”
Of Rees-Zammit’s positional move to No 15, Lam added: “It was ever my volition for him to spell there. When he first came backmost he needed to build up his lucifer fitness, being retired [of rugby] for 18 months.
“We’ve been softly moving him down nan scenes, getting his fitness. He went to Wales arsenic good and sewage immoderate much activity done there. That was ever nan plan. He was expected to do it [play full-back] against Saints but he sewage injured, past he did it against Scarlets. He had a spot of clip location against Pau. Last week Quins, and now this week. I judge that’s his champion position.”
Bristol, who person won their past 5 matches, big Sale successful nan Prem connected Friday. The Sharks’ head of rugby, Alex Sanderson, said he would make a scheme to woody pinch Rees-Zammit. “I deliberation you person to,” Sanderson said. “Not only has he sewage a monolithic near footwear connected him but he’s specified a threat. Whether it beryllium your decision-making astir wherever and erstwhile you footwear – that’s important – because if you springiness him excessively overmuch abstraction connected nan beforehand foot, he’s going to make thing happen.”
Sanderson besides backed up Lam’s constituent astir nan Welshman’s ball-carrying strength. “Your [defensive] connections, if you do footwear long, [you have] to effort and get a double enarthrosis connected him because he’s apt to measurement retired of nan first [tackle]. There’s a spot of attraction connected him.”
