Rees-Zammit reverts to Wales wing for Fiji test

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Louis Rees-Zammit has played 40 internationals for Wales Louis Rees-Zammit will switch back to wing from full-back for Wales for the Nations Championship opener against Fiji at the Cardiff City Stadium (14:10 BST) Rees-Zammit started all five games in the Six Nations at full-back but is named in his favoured position this weekend with Blair Murray lining up in the number 15 shirt. Wales head coach Steve Tandy has made six changes from the side that defeated Barbarians 33-31 in an uncapped international. Rees-Zammit, scrum-half Tomos Williams, prop Rhys Carre and lock Adam Beard return after being unavailable last week because they play for English or French clubs, with the Baa-Baas match scheduled outside World Rugby's international window. Cardiff duo Josh Adams and Alex Mann also return, while back-rower Taine Plumtree drops to the replacements bench and will cover the lock position. Ospreys uncapped prop Ben Warren could win his first cap off the bench. Halfpenny joins Wales coach team for summer Tests Published1 day agoWales rugby quiz: Test your summer tour knowledge Published1 day agoRees-Zammit back in his favoured positionRees-Zammit missed a session earlier this week with a niggle but took part in training on Wednesday. The 25-year-old had been switched from wing to full-back by his Bristol club after Wales' autumn internatioals campaign and Tandy continued this experiment during the Six Nations. Following that tournament, Rees-Zammit returned to Bristol and told head coach Pat Lam he wanted to concentrate on playing on the wing. Wales attack coach Matt Sherratt earlier this week said the former NFL-triallist remained "open-minded to play 15 but now sees himself as a wing who can play there". Rees-Zammit, who scored in his previous two games against Fiji in 2021 and 2023, is joined on the wing by Adams, with Ellis Mee dropping to the bench and Tom Rogers out of the squad. Captain Dewi Lake and Cardiff flanker Mann continue their record as the only players to start every Test under Tandy with this weekend representing the 10th of his reign. Listen on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website and app which also has live text commentary. Watch live on S4C. Image source, Huw Evans Picture AgencyImage caption, Taine Plumtree started at blind-side flanker in the uncapped victory against Barbarians Wales have only named three specialist second-rows in the Nations Championship squad with Beard and Ben Carter starting against Fiji. Wales received a blow when Dafydd Jenkins was ruled out of the tour following shoulder surgery. Beard only linked up with Wales on Sunday following his role for Montpellier in the Top 14 final defeat against Toulouse, while Williams played his first game in nine months against Barbarians after recovering from a serious ankle injury. So Tandy has opted for Plumtree to cover lock rather than Williams this weekend. Wales have used Plumtree primarily as a blind-side flanker or number eight in his 14 internationals. He has not started a senior game at lock for club or country since he arrived in Llanelli from Auckland before the the 2023 World Cup. Plumtree's previous start in the position came while playing for Wellington in the NPC in August 2022, while he also played a handful of games there for New Zealand Under-20s. Wales chose not to select Gloucester's Freddie Thomas or Dragons uncapped Ryan Woodman who have both played at lock and flanker this season. Christ Tshiunza is currently unavailable for Wales selection with Tandy prevented from picking the Sale-bound forward because of the 25-cap rule. The 24-year-old lock or flanker will switch to Sharks from Prem runners-up Exeter this summer. It means he will fall foul of the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) selection policy that requires players that represent clubs outside of Wales to have at least 25 caps with Tshiunza on 15. What information do we collect from this quiz?Another disrupted build-upThe Wales squad's preparations for the Nations Championship have been disrupted by a dispute with the WRU about match fees. The build-up was impacted by off-field issues that were resolved just three days before the opening fixture. Talks were held between Welsh rugby's governing body and the Welsh Rugby Players' Association (WRPA) over "employment terms" and an agreement was reached late on Wednesday afternoon to ensure the Fiji game will go ahead. Wales were due to have a press conference on Wednesday but the playing squad opted not to fulfill that appointment because of the dispute with the WRU. Wales claim no training sessions were disrupted and there was no mention of the dispute in Tandy's press release quotes. "It's been awesome get back into camp and get ready for games," said Tandy. "We want to keep building on the Six Nations and from last weekend as well. "We've created a lot of momentum and we're looking to hit the ground running

Rees-Zammit reverts to Wales wing for Fiji test

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