Louis Rees-Zammit had the ‘ability’ to play NFL but not the ‘mentality’ according to ex-England star
Louis Rees-Zammit had the 'ability' to play NFL but not the 'mentality' according to ex-England star
Toby Flood has claimed that Louis Rees-Zammit could have made it in the NFL, but did not have the mentality to make his journey a success.
Speaking to AceOdds, Flood admitted: “Rugby is not actually that complicated. Whereas in American football, the playbooks are ridiculous! I love watching it. I watched a bit of that Quarterback documentary on Netflix. It’s one of the most complicated sports out there.
“I do believe that people like Rees Zammit have the capability to play, but not the mentality, I don’t think. I don’t mean that mentally in a lack of desire or the passion to play; I just mean the ability to load all that information in your brain.”
Bristol Bears is a good fit for Louis Rees-Zammit
It wasn’t a huge shock for the rugby world that Rees-Zammit was returning to the sport, but all the same, it was treated with great interest and sheer excitement as he announced who he would be signing for on his return.
It wasn’t long before the Welsh international announced he would be returning to the west of England, but this time he was heading a few miles south, to Bristol.
“Bristol seems to be a good option for him because the way they play will suit him, and he’ll slot in well,” said Flood. “It might take him a couple of weeks to try and slip back into it, but he’ll soon think, ‘I remember this!’ He’ll fit in well.”
Anglo-Welsh Cup
This is notably another Welshman who has chosen to take his skills over the Severn Bridge, with many of his countrymen also choosing to play in the English Premiership rather than turn out for the struggling Welsh outfits. Flood is keen for more English sides and players to experience rugby in Wales; however, suggesting the return of the Anglo-Welsh Cup is in order.
“I’d love an Anglo-Welsh competition. It’d be great,” he said. “There are issues around Welsh rugby in terms of how many regions they have and the financial impact of that. That doesn’t stop it from happening in terms of the actual tournament.
“I remember playing in the Anglo-Welsh tournament for Newcastle in my first ever start at fly half for them against the Scarlets. I remember getting battered!
“I remember it was a great place to go and play rugby. You could definitely feel that tension when the English were in town.”
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