The new head coach of the Welsh national team, Steve Tandy, acknowledged the difficulty in resisting the urge to immediately place Louis Rees-Zammit in the starting lineup upon his return to international play.
Rees-Zammit has been recovering from a toe injury sustained during his third appearance for Bristol, following an 18-month period in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs and the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The 24-year-old winger, who hasn’t represented Wales since the 2023 World Cup over two years prior, will be among the reserve players for the Autumn Nations Series’ opening match against Argentina in Cardiff on Sunday.
Tandy commented: “There is always that appeal to have a player like Zammo start, but we have to prioritize what is beneficial for both him and the team as a whole.”
“Zammo has probably participated in only two matches since his return and then he sustained an injury. This marks his first complete week of training, which has been fantastic.”
“He has been running and successfully meeting the required physical benchmarks, but then we also have Tommy (Rogers) and Jadzi (Josh Adams) who have been training exceptionally well. We have two players who are game-ready and will contribute effectively.
“Having Zammo come off the bench presents a significant opportunity to inject energy into the game.”
Tandy has implemented seven alterations to the squad that concluded Wales’ 18-game losing streak in Japan four months prior.
Captain Jac Morgan is back following his involvement in the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia, and Saracens prop Rhys Carre has been recalled after being sidelined under Tandy’s predecessor, Warren Gatland.
Carre’s last appearance for Wales was one of his 20 caps earned during the 2023 Six Nations Championship.
“We need to assess his performances, considering his contributions in the club arena while playing for a prominent club like Saracens,” Tandy explained.
“He has accumulated significant playing time and has been performing at a high level.”
“I have engaged in numerous discussions with Rhys, and the opportunity to have him start against Argentina is exciting for us.”
Wales has fallen to 12th place in the world rankings ahead of an autumn schedule that also includes games against Japan, New Zealand, and South Africa.
Argentina is ranked sixth and is known for their formidable forward pack.
The Pumas secured victories against Australia and New Zealand in the recent Rugby Championship and narrowly lost to eventual champions South Africa by just two points in the final match at Twickenham.
“They have some physically imposing players,” Tandy noted about the Pumas’ powerful approach.
“While we cannot alter our inherent physical attributes, we also possess some strong and aggressive players.”
“We must adapt our gameplay to align with our physicality and our strengths.”
