Rees-Zammit wing return is right option - Williams

Wales great Liam Williams believes Louis Rees-Zammit should return to the wing after playing full-back for club and country this season.

Williams has echoed the sentiments of Bristol coach Pat Lam who has switched Rees-Zammit back onto the wing in recent weeks, following the request of the player himself.

Wales head coach Steve Tandy started Rees-Zammit at full-back in the five 2026 Six Nations games.

Williams, who won 93 caps for Wales at wing and full-back, told Scrum V Rees-Zammit is most effective on the wing.

"Zam [Rees-Zammit] needs that bit of space on the edge on the wing to work his magic," said Williams.

"He is so quick and electric. Give him some space and he will show what he is good at."

Following the Bristol positional switch, it remains to be seen whether Tandy will continue asking Rees-Zammit to play full-back this summer.

Wales are preparing to face Barbarians on 27 June before Nations Championship matches against Fiji, Argentina and South Africa in July.

The other number 15 options Tandy has named in his 48-man squad for the four matches include Blair Murray, Tom Rogers, Josh Adams and Ellis Mee.

There was no room for more specialist number 15s such as Cameron Winnett, Jacob Beetham or the uncapped Angus O'Brien.

For more than a decade, Wales have been blessed with two world class full-backs in British and Irish Lions pair Williams and Leigh Halfpenny, but the pair have both announced their retirements in the past few months.

A natural long-term successor has yet to emerge, with Williams saying Scarlets back Murray, who has been used on the wing and full-back by club and country, is the best current option for Tandy.

"With the ball in hand he [Murray] can make something happen," said Williams, who has been working with the Scarlets backs in the past few weeks.

"He has also got a decent [kicking] left foot which is a nice option to have."

Former Scarlets and Wales centre Jonathan Davies agreed that Murray is the leading current option.

"He [Murray] is working on his aerial game," said Davies.

"When you look at the options, you have to look at where you are willing to concede in some areas to gain in others.

"Blair gives you the biggest positives in his all-round game for the number 15 jersey."

Rees-Zammit signed for Bristol in the summer of 2025 after returning to rugby following two years attempting to make it in American football.

The 25-year-old started the season with his English club on the wing but changed to full-back halfway through the season.

Now another conversation with Lam has resulted in Rees-Zammit returning to his original position.

"Zam was really keen to play full-back, but the biggest thing is he loves to score tries and is a world class try-scorer," said Lam.

"What he quickly realised, he was a British [and Irish] Lion as a wing and he wants to be there again. He's a world-class winger.

"I love the fact that he was honest enough to come and say, 'Look, Pat, I want to try playing at full-back'.

"So basically now he wants to be a world-class winger who can cover full-back."

Lam says the latest switch was Rees-Zammit's decision.

"We had a discussion, and he said that he'd like to go back on the wing," said Lam.

"One of the things I want to be clear about is that I always ask them, 'Which jersey do you want?'.

"When they tell me they want to play this one, okay, 'All right, let's see how you go'.

"Every time he's played on the wing for us, he's scored tries because our game creates space for the wingers."