Rees-Zammit off the mark and backed to star by Williams

"Superstar" Louis Rees-Zammit has been backed to rapidly get back to his best by Wales legend Shane Williams after getting off the mark for Bristol Bears.

The 24-year-old wing took another step in his rugby return when he started against his former club Gloucester on Friday night.

With 20 minutes on the clock, Rees-Zammit scored his first try since going over for the Cherry and Whites at Edinburgh in January 2024, hitting the line and then out-pacing the last man.

He would go on to have a break in the sin bin after a first-half derby dust-up but enjoyed a happy return to his old stamping ground courtesy of Bristol's 40-24 Prem Cup victory.

After coming off the bench for a debut at Sale, Rees-Zammit stepped things up with 14 on his back and played until the 56th minute.

The aim is to earn a spot when the Bears start their league campaign against Leicester at Ashton Gate on Sunday, 28 September.

The wing bulked up in America to go up to 16st 5lb but weighed in at 15st 7lb with Bristol.

Rees-Zammit claimed that he still clocked 23mph as a top speed despite the extra muscle needed for his bid to make it at Kansas City Chiefs and then Jacksonville Jaguars.

At the start of his NFL journey he clocked 4.43 for the 40-yard dash, a time that disappointed him given his training efforts: "I was getting low 4.3s, high 4.2s."

Rees-Zammit's speed on the rugby field earned his opportunity in the States and the early signs are that he remains seriously rapid.

"I thought Louis Rees-Zammit was outstanding, you could see his pace for his try," said Bears boss Pat Lam in Gloucester, who also claimed the officials picked out the wrong man for Rees-Zammit's yellow card after a scuffle.

Bristol have five league fixtures before the start of the autumn internationals and it will be a shock if the speedster, who won the last of his 32 caps against Argentina at the 2023 World Cup, is not included in the squad.

New Wales boss Steve Tandy is able to call upon Rees-Zammit for the Tests against Argentina, Japan and New Zealand but not the South Africa game, which is outside World Rugby's window.

Shane Williams, Wales' record try scorer with 58 in 87 appearances, is excited about the return of a wing who has crossed 14 times in international rugby.

"He's a massive asset for Wales. He is a superstar player, just look at the tries he scored and what he did for Wales in that short period of time," said the 2008 world player of the year.

"He will probably take a bit of time to get back into the swing of things with rugby union because it has changed in the last 12 months, let alone 24.

"There are a lot things to learn but he has gone to a team that suits him and love to play open rugby, they are an offloading team and will be looking to get the ball out to him at every opportunity.

"He has looked a bit rusty but he is a player of quality who is young enough to be back to his best in the next six months.

"It's a nice addition to have into a squad and a bit of good news for Tandy as he looks to build for the next run of games."

Wales went with a back three of Blair Murray, Josh Adams and Tom Rogers in Japan, with Keelan Giles coming off the bench to make his debut in the second Test.

Rio Dyer, Ellis Mee and Josh Hathaway are among the other contenders, while Newcastle-bound Liam Williams hasn't given up on his dream of becoming a Test centurion.

Rees-Zammit's American adventure played a part in Murray's rapid rise last season, with Shane Williams excited about their potential combination.

"I love watching Blair play – he is Wales' Cheslin Kolbe, Darcy Graham equivalent. They are gutsy, brave, work hard, are touchline-to-touchline and don't shy out of anything," said Williams, speaking as a Premier Sports pundit ahead of the United Rugby Championship.

"Rees-Zammit is a player that they will want to get connected to Blair and there are a lot of good wingers in Wales who have probably been starved of the ball recently."

Go well for the Bears in the coming weeks and Rees-Zammit could well get the chance to shine against the Pumas in the autumn opener.