Louis Rees-Zammit is set to move from full-back to wing for Wales in their Nations Championship opener against Fiji. The match is scheduled for Saturday at Cardiff City Stadium. Rees-Zammit had previously played all five Six Nations games at full-back, but will now feature in his preferred wing position, with Blair Murray taking the number 15 shirt.
Wales head coach Steve Tandy has made six alterations to the squad that secured a 33-31 victory over the Barbarians in an uncapped international. Rees-Zammit, scrum-half Tomos Williams, prop Rhys Carre, and lock Adam Beard are all returning to the team after being unavailable for the previous match. Their absence was due to their commitments with English or French clubs, as the Barbarians fixture fell outside World Rugby‘s international window.
Cardiff players Josh Adams and Alex Mann are also back in the squad. Meanwhile, back-rower Taine Plumtree will move to the replacements bench, providing cover for the lock position. Ospreys prop Ben Warren, who is uncapped, could potentially make his debut from the bench.
Squad Adjustments and Player Returns
Rees-Zammit, who is 25 years old, missed a training session earlier in the week due to a minor issue but participated in Wednesday’s training. His club, Bristol, had moved him from wing to full-back following Wales‘ autumn internationals campaign, a positional experiment that Tandy continued during the Six Nations tournament.
After the Six Nations, Rees-Zammit returned to Bristol and expressed his desire to focus on playing on the wing to head coach Pat Lam. Wales attack coach Matt Sherratt commented earlier this week that Rees-Zammit, a former NFL-triallist, remains “open-minded to play 15 but now sees himself as a wing who can play there”.
Rees-Zammit, who scored in his last two appearances against Fiji in 2021 and 2023, will be joined on the wing by Adams. This change sees Ellis Mee move to the bench and Tom Rogers out of the squad. Captain Dewi Lake and Cardiff flanker Mann are the only players to have started every Test under Tandy, with this weekend marking the tenth such occasion of his tenure.
Wales has named only three specialist second-rows in the Nations Championship squad, with Beard and Ben Carter starting against Fiji. The team faced a setback when Dafydd Jenkins was ruled out of the tour following shoulder surgery. Beard joined Wales on Sunday after playing for Montpellier in the Top 14 final, while Williams played his first game in nine months against the Barbarians after recovering from a significant foot injury.
Tandy has chosen Plumtree to cover the lock position this weekend. Plumtree has primarily been used as a blind-side flanker or number eight in his 14 international appearances. He has not started a senior game at lock for either club or country since his arrival in Llanelli from Auckland before the 2023 World Cup. His last start in this position was for Wellington in the NPC in August 2022, and he also played a few games there for New Zealand Under-20s.
Wales did not select Gloucester‘s Freddie Thomas or Dragons‘ uncapped Ryan Woodman, both of whom have played at lock and flanker this season, for the Nations Championship squad. Christ Tshiunza is currently unavailable for Wales selection due to the 25-cap rule, as Tandy is prevented from picking the Sale-bound forward. The 24-year-old lock or flanker is set to move to Sharks from Prem runners-up Exeter this summer. This means he falls under the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) selection policy, which requires players representing clubs outside Wales to have at least 25 caps; Tshiunza currently has 15.
Off-Field Matters and Team Outlook
The Wales squad’s preparations for the Nations Championship have been affected by a disagreement with the WRU concerning match fees. Off-field issues impacted the build-up, but these were resolved just three days before the opening fixture. Discussions were held between the governing body of Welsh rugby and the Welsh Rugby Players’ Association (WRPA) regarding “employment terms,” and an agreement was reached late on Wednesday afternoon, ensuring the Fiji game will proceed.
A scheduled press conference for Wales on Wednesday was cancelled as the playing squad opted not to attend due to the dispute with the WRU. However, Wales asserts that no training sessions were disrupted, and Tandy’s press release quotes did not mention the dispute. Tandy stated, “It’s been awesome get back into camp and get ready for games. We want to keep building on the Six Nations and from last weekend as well. We’ve created a lot of momentum and we’re looking to hit the ground running on Saturday.”
Wales will be considered the away side for Saturday’s match, with Fiji as the hosts, despite the game being played in Cardiff. This will be the first international rugby match held at the home of Cardiff City football club. Tandy expressed enthusiasm, saying, “We’re excited to be in Cardiff to start the Nations Championship. We love to be in Wales playing games. Our support means a hell of a lot to us and fans are incredible how they get behind the team.”
The Wales team to face Fiji includes: Murray; Rees-Zammit, James, Hawkins, Adams; Edwards, Tomos Williams; Carre, Lake (capt), Lewis, Carter, Beard, Mann, Morgan, Wainwright. Replacements are: Elias, Smith, Warren, Plumtree, Botham, Hardy, Costelow, Mee. The match is scheduled for Saturday, 4 July, at 14:10 BST.
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Source: bbc.co.uk
Adam Rutherford is a Senior Football Correspondent at News-UK. He spent his early career filing match reports across the North West. He focuses on the Premier League, the EFL and the England national side and is known for clear, deadline-driven reporting. He holds a degree in Sports Journalism from Manchester Metropolitan University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Now based in Manchester, he coaches a youth team and watches grassroots football. “Every transfer window hides a dozen real stories.”
