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New Wales star Rees-Zammit to start Premiership derby for Gloucester

(Photo by Bob Bradford/CameraSport via Getty Images)

Fresh from scoring the match-winning try for Wales in the Guinness Six Nations last Saturday at Murrayfield, Louis Rees-Zammit has been included in the Gloucester starting line-up for their Gallagher Premiership derby at Bath on Friday night.    

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Rees-Zammit returned from international duty telling club boss George Skivington that he wanted to be involved ahead of his return to Wales for their February 27 Six Nations clash with England.  

Skivington said on Wednesday: “Zam is back training with us this week. The first thing he said was, ‘Let’s get into Bath and let’s try and beat Bath on Friday night’. That is a credit to him.”

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Now Welsh wonder Rees-Zammit has been chosen to play and he takes his place in a Gloucester backline that also includes Scotland midfielder Chris Harris at centre and Italy scrum-half Stephen Varney on the bench as back-up to Willi Heinz.   

Lock Ed Slater is also back in the mix for bottom of the table Gloucester who had the threat of relegation removed last week when Premiership officials decided to run a 13-team competition in 2021/22.

“They’re not a bad team,” said Skivington of Bath. “They were in the top four last year, but they have not had the start they would have wanted, similar to us. They have been established for a good while and for them it’s just about finding their feet and getting a bit of momentum. 

“I expect them to be fully charged up for the weekend so it should be a good match. They have got threats all over the park and have a well-organised set-piece. They have got a good backline and Rhys Priestland runs it well so it is about how do you stop it and how you deal with it than anything else, but I know they are a good team.”

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Wales back row Taulupe Faletau is one of two changes for Bath after their win at Sale, winger Will Muir their other switch.

BATH: 15. Tom de Glanville; 14. Semesa Rokodoguni, 13. Max Clark, 12. Josh Matavesi, 11. Will Muir; 10. Rhys Priestland, 9. Ben Spencer; 1. Juan Schoeman, 2. Tom Dunn, 3. Christian Judge, 4. Josh Bayliss, 5. Mike Williams, 6. Taulupe Faletau, 7. Miles Reid, 8. Zach Mercer. Rep: 16. Jack Walker, 17. Jamie Bhatti, 18. Henry Thomas, 19. Tom Ellis, 20. Ethan Staddon, 21. Will Chudley, 22. Tian Schoeman, 23. Jonathan Joseph.

GLOUCESTER: 15. Jason Woodward; 14. Louis Rees-Zammit, 13. Chris Harris, 12. Tom Seabrook, 11. Ollie Thorley; 
10. Billy Twelvetrees, 9. Willi Heinz; 1. Val Rapava-Ruskin, 2. Henry Walker, 3. Fraser Balmain, 4. Ed Slater, 5. Alex Craig, 6. Jordy Reid, 7. Lewis Ludlow (capt), 8. Ruan Ackermann. Reps: 16. Santiago Socino, 17. Alex Seville, 18. Jamal Ford-Robinson, 19. Ollie Atkins, 20. Freddie Clarke, 21. Stephen Varney, 22. George Barton, 23. Henry Trinder.

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AM 42 minutes ago
'Freelancer' Izaia Perese shows the need for true inclusivity in Australian rugby

That's Cron's job though. Australia has had one of the most penalised scrums in international rugby for a long time. Just look at the scrum win loss percentage and scrum penalties. That is your evidence. AA has been the starter during that period. Pretty simple analysis. That Australia has had a poor scrum for a long time is hardly news. If bell and thor are not on the field they are woeful. So you are just plain wrong. They have very little time for the lions so doing the same old things that dont work is not going to get them there.


Ainsley is better than our next best tighthead options and has been playing well at scrum time for Lyon in the most competitive comp in the world. Superstar player? No. But better than the next best options. So that is a good enough guide. The scrummaging in the Prem is pretty good too so there is Sio's proof. Same analysis for him. Certainly better in both cases than Super, where the brumbies had the worst win loss and scrum pen in Super. Who plays there? Ohh yes... And the level of scrummaging in Super is well below the URC, prem and France with the SA teams out.


Nongorr is truly woeful. He's 130kg and gets shoved about. That just should not be happening at that weight for a specialist prop who has always played rugby cf pone with leauge. He has had enough time to develop at 23. You'd be better off with Pone who is at least good around the field for the moment and sending Nongorr on exchange to France or England to see if they can improve him with better coaching as happened with Skelton and Meafou. He isn't going to develop in time in super if he has it at all.


Latu is a better scrummaging hooker than BPA and Nasser. and he's the best aussie player over the ball at ruck time. McReight's super jackling percentage hasnt converted to international level but latu consistently does it at heniken level, which is similar to test level in the big games. With good coaching at La Rochelle he's much improved though still has the odd shocker. He should start the November games.

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