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Wales boss Tandy 'excited' to see Rees-Zammit start against Japan / Photo: © AFP
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Wales boss Tandy 'excited' to see Rees-Zammit start against Japan
Wales coach Steve Tandy said giving a start to Louis Rees-Zammit against Japan on Saturday was a "straightforward" decision.
The dashing wing, now with English club Bristol, ended his 18-month exile from international rugby by coming off the bench during last week's 52-28 loss at home to Argentina following a spell in American football that ended without him playing a senior NFL game.
"I think it was pretty straightforward," Tandy told reporters after naming his side on Thursday. "We know the quality he brings.
"It's exciting. He's been brilliant around the camp. He's grown as a rugby player, he's leading really well," added Tandy, looking for a first win as Wales boss following a record defeat by the Pumas in his debut match in charge.
"He was brilliant last week coming off the bench. You can see in the training week what he's like. He was disappointed not to have one or two tries."
Injury to Wales captain Jac Morgan has led to changes in the back row with Alex Mann moving to openside flanker and Aaron Wainwright starting at blindside.
Meanwhile, hooker Dewi Lake takes over as skipper from Morgan, who will miss the rest of the November programme after dislocating his shoulder while scoring a try against Argentina.
"It's a pretty big blow," said Tandy of Morgan. "At the end of the day, he's a world-class player and he's our leader. His performance on the weekend was outstanding. You see him in our environment, he'll be sorely missed. Not just the player, but the man will be missed."
Wales have lost 10 successive home matches and 19 of their past 20 games overall.
But they did end a record 18-match losing streak against Japan, coached by veteran Australian boss Eddie Jones, in July.
And the Brave Blossoms, due to name their side later Thursday, head into this weekend's clash on the back of 61-7 and 41-10 thrashings by world champions South Africa and Ireland respectively.
Saturday's match could have implications for the upcoming draw for the 2027 World Cup in Australia, with 12th-placed Wales, currently in the second group of seeds, hoping to stay above Japan in the rankings.
"There's lots around ranking points on this game, but ultimately as a team we've got to focus on ourselves and how we grow as a team," said Tandy. "We can't start worrying on all the things we can't control."
F.Jablonski--GL
