Gloucester welcomed the Exeter Chiefs to Kingsholm tonight in a West Country clash littered with international stars. It had all the makings of an almighty battle, and disappoint us it did not.
After the classic build-up of excitement for a Friday night match, the two sides exchanged multiple tries during the first half as the game remained finely in the balance. As the players returned for the second half, it was clear that Gloucester were fired up and ready to take the win for their home fans. With a second-half victory of three tries to one for the Cherry and Whites, they secured a 38-22 bonus point win over the former Premiership champions.
There was one name in particular that stood out in Gloucesters' attack today, and that was Louis Rees-Zammit.
Last year it looked like the young winger had hit a serious speed bump in his fledgling career, he was out of form and out of the Welsh squad. Wayne Pivac at the time felt the young speedster was in need of becoming more than just a fast player, but a much better all-rounded athlete. Fortunately, at the time for Rees-Zammit, there was a spate of injuries that had allowed him back into the national setup and gave him the opportunity to prove Pivac wrong.
Since that time there’s been no doubt that Rees-Zammit has been working on his game, with his defence and physicality having come on a long way. With alterations to the way someone plays there is always the risk of them losing what made that player so special in the first place, but it’s quite clear to see that has not been the case here.
Earning himself the Player of the Match award, Rees-Zammit really was the difference between the two sides. His speed and his tremendous awareness of the game saw one of his most significant performances to date.
A world-class prospect with a bright future, Zammit will most likely be lining up to terrorise the All Blacks for Wales at the Principality Stadium next weekend.
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