{"id":382248,"date":"2025-12-31T09:01:08","date_gmt":"2025-12-31T09:01:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/382248\/"},"modified":"2025-12-31T09:01:08","modified_gmt":"2025-12-31T09:01:08","slug":"bullish-bristol-believe-rees-zammits-nfl-spell-has-improved-his-rugby-bristol","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/382248\/","title":{"rendered":"Bullish Bristol believe Rees-Zammit\u2019s NFL spell has improved his rugby | Bristol"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Bristol<\/a> director of rugby, Pat Lam, has said Louis Rees-Zammit\u2019s recent NFL tilt made him a stronger and more dangerous rugby player.<\/p>\n

The Wales back joined the NFL\u2019s international pathway programme in January 2024, and was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs<\/a> before a spell at the Jacksonville Jaguars. He returned to rugby after 18 months without playing an NFL match, signing for Bristol in July. Lam said that since signing for the Bears, the 24-year-old has been working to reach match fitness, but that his increased power has made it harder for opponents to stop him.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s made him a more rounded player,\u201d Lam said. \u201cHe\u2019ll beat tackles, he\u2019s powerful. I think he fights a long time on his feet. If you take a little snapshot \u2013 a look from a close up [in contact] \u2013 you think he\u2019s playing the NFL, working his way through the scrimmage line and the defenders. The only thing they haven\u2019t got is pads.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou look at the change of angles, the quick feet and the power in the tackle \u2013 he keeps his feet longer. He\u2019s come back in that physical game a lot better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rees-Zammit played on the wing for Wales and Gloucester before his NFL sojourn but Lam believes his best position is full-back \u2013 a view supported by two tries he scored in the win against Newcastle<\/a> Red Bulls at Ashton Gate last Saturday.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe can cause carnage when he runs it back but he can also kick,\u201d Lam said. \u201cIf he couldn\u2019t kick, you\u2019d probably have to keep him on the wing, but he\u2019s got a very powerful kick.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd we saw against Quins<\/a>, his chip and chase is class. He\u2019s very skilful in that area. He\u2019s only 24 and I see him as 100% a full-back who can play wing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Louis Rees-Zammit tried to make it as a running back with the Kansas City Chiefs. Photograph: Denny Medley\/USA Today Sports<\/p>\n

Of Rees-Zammit\u2019s positional switch to No 15, Lam added: \u201cIt was always my intention for him to go there. When he first came back he needed to build up his match fitness, being out [of rugby] for 18 months.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been quietly working him behind the scenes, getting his fitness. He went to Wales as well and got some more work done there. That was always the plan. He was supposed to do it [play full-back] against Saints but he got injured, then he did it against Scarlets. He had a bit of time there against Pau. Last week Quins, and now this week. I believe that\u2019s his best position.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bristol, who have won their last five matches, host Sale in the Prem on Friday. The Sharks\u2019 director of rugby, Alex Sanderson, said he would make a plan to deal with Rees-Zammit. \u201cI think you have to,\u201d Sanderson said. \u201cNot only has he got a massive left boot on him but he\u2019s such a threat. Whether it be your decision-making around where and when you kick \u2013 that\u2019s important \u2013 because if you give him too much space on the front foot, he\u2019s going to make something happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sanderson also backed up Lam\u2019s point about the Welshman\u2019s ball-carrying strength. \u201cYour [defensive] connections, if you do kick long, [you have] to try and get a double shoulder on him because he\u2019s likely to step out of the first [tackle]. There\u2019s a bit of focus on him.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Bristol director of rugby, Pat Lam, has said Louis Rees-Zammit\u2019s recent NFL tilt made him a stronger…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":382249,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[567],"tags":[64,63,760,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-382248","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-rugby","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-rugby","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/382248","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=382248"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/382248\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/382249"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=382248"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=382248"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=382248"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}