Rees-Zammit Shone in Rugby Return: Lam Confident in His Improvement

Pat Lam, Bristol’s coach, expressed his confidence that Louis Rees-Zammit will continue to improve after his return to the Premiership Gallagher, where he scored a try. The Welsh player played his first Premiership match since December 2023, after leaving rugby to try his luck in the NFL. Rees-Zammit was part of the training teams for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Jacksonville Jaguars, but did not play in the regular season. Subsequently, he was signed by Bristol as their main summer addition. The player capped off a standout performance with Bristol’s fifth and final try, in the 42-24 victory over Leicester, in front of a crowd of 20,000 spectators at Ashton Gate.

That was his first full game since he returned. He’s improving every day, and what I liked about his game today was his good physical performance in contact. He didn’t have it easy, and that will give him a lot of confidence.

Pat Lam, Bristol coach

Lam also commented on Rees-Zammit’s adaptation to the team and his physical condition, expressing his pride in the player. Furthermore, he highlighted Rees-Zammit’s dedication and desire to improve and surpass himself, predicting continued growth in his performance. However, not everything was good news for Bristol, as backs AJ MacGinty, Harry Randall, and Gabriel Ibitoye suffered injuries that forced them to leave the field. Lam informed that MacGinty’s injury could be to the Achilles tendon, while Randall and Ibitoye suffered hamstring injuries. Rees-Zammit, Ibitoye, flanker Fitz Harding, hooker Gabriel Oghre and replacement Josh Carrington scored the tries for Bristol, securing a bonus point. Tom Jordan added four conversions and two penalties, while MacGinty also scored a penalty.

For Leicester, Adam Radwan scored two tries, and Jack van Poortvliet and Orlando Bailey also scored, with Bailey achieving two conversions. Despite this, the Tigers settled for a bonus point for the loss.