Jonathan Davies names two English clubs potentially vying for Louis Rees-Zammit’s signature as he warns against France
Jonathan 'Fox' Davies names two English clubs potentially vying for Rees-Zammit's signature as he warns against France
Lions legend Jonathan ‘Fox’ Davies has warned the returning Welsh star, Louis Rees-Zammit, to avoid France if he is to make a success of his return to rugby.
There has already reportedly been plenty of interest in the former Gloucester winger, but due to his expected wage demands, the race to gain his signature will likely only be achievable for a handful of clubs.
Davies doesn’t see a Welsh region being able to sign him, telling Fruity King: “He’ll have a high wage demand, and the market itself will dictate his price. If you have teams like Bristol and teams in France looking to sign him instantly, Welsh regions are blown out of the water.
“He has more than 20 caps, so it doesn’t matter where he plays in terms of section for Wales. He was pretty comfortable at the time when he was playing at Gloucester, coming back into the Welsh camp.”
The Rees-Zammit decision
The decision won’t simply be a case of financial benefits, however. The 24-year-old will need to consider which club can offer the best facilities, the best location for him, and, of course, which club would be the best fit for his playing style.
“He’ll have to make a decision as to what is right for him and where he feels that he’d be able to have the biggest impact on the field,” Davies added.
“There is a balance between going to a French team for a lot of money and not getting the quality of play he would need. You want to be playing Champions Cup rugby. You want to be playing in the big competitions.
“That should be the driver for him, not just financial gain. For me, you see the character of players who decide to go to a club that’s competitive, and they want to add to that environment.”
The next move for LRZ
Davies highlighted Bath and Bristol as being suitable destinations for the talented winger.
“If I were Louis, that would be what I would be looking for. Somewhere where I could be challenged and add value to that environment,” he explained.
“Bristol is a good one with the way they play. They would try and get them on the ball a lot. Bath would no doubt be in the market. Obviously they’re champions and have an extremely talented squad.
“Then you’re looking at the French teams, would a Toulon want to come in for him or would a Racing? Sometimes, as we’ve seen, it doesn’t always end that well, as we have seen with Owen Farrell.
“Some players do struggle. It has to be a mixture of the two things. One, you’ve got to look after yourself financially, but two, there has to be the challenge, and the level of competition and drive you want in your decision as well.”