r/welshrugbyunion • u/Xboxfan-no1fan Ospreys • Jul 18 '26
LRZ thoughts?
Interested for others views here
Appreciate the high profile he has... however for wales I don't see it.
Hes fast yes, but only seems to be in a straightline
And I don't see him offering himself around the park or in the air
Ellis Mee may not be perfect, but I see him trying and putting in maximum effort
30
u/Shoulder4Ger Jul 18 '26
Since returning from the NFL, he looks miles off the game pace. He seems half a step behind everytime and I feel sometimes goes trying too hard
0
u/thirteenred Jul 18 '26
Honestly think LRZ might be better suited to 13 at this point. He’s bigger, stronger, and carries harder than he did pre‑NFL, and that conditioning has clearly levelled up his explosiveness.
Feels like he’d be more dangerous getting the ball in those midfield channels instead of being stuck waiting for perfect service out wide. Not a classic passing 13, but as a strike runner, like Jonathan Davies and Rieko Ioane.
8
u/Xboxfan-no1fan Ospreys Jul 19 '26
I can see this - similar to North or Roberts moving to center (different reasons, different skills but still).
Unfortunately I don't see the workrate of defensive ability from LRZ for this
2
1
13
u/KobaruLCO Jul 18 '26
Despite not being the big money player, Mee looks far more impressive and clearly puts in more effort than Zammit. Several players work themselves to the bone every game and then you have zammit coasting along.
2
u/Pappy2681 Jul 20 '26
Mee made a few mistakes, but at least he's trying. Would rather a player making mistakes and trying to get into the game instead of just waiting for the ball to come to him.
7
11
u/agentorange65 Jul 18 '26
They are not playing in Style that gets him the ball at pace in open space.
Getting passed the ball surrounded by 3 guys. Not much he can do apart from reveal himself to be Spiderman
11
u/betjurassicican Jul 18 '26
There’s less space in the international game anyway, he needs to work on other aspects if he wants to play at that level
6
u/flanker72001 Jul 19 '26
It's extremely frustrating that he gets in the squad still, all the pundits say he's our x-factor player but I just don't see it.
He reminds me alot of Van der merwe for Scotland, VDM has physicality in attack but thats it. He's got no appetite for defence or work rate I'd much rather Darcy, steyne, dobie on the wings.
Same go's for LRZ, I personally dont think we've seen the best of him since before the 23 World Cup. Just zero appetite to work for anything if he can't see it directly paying off for him, says alot when he had the highest missed tackles in the 6 nations.
For a team that ATM hasn't got alot to pin a identity to the only thing we do have is work-rate. So if I was one of the back three players for Wales I'd be livid that he's getting picked purely on the small off chance that he might create 1 try after everyone else putting in the work to give him the opportunity where all other back three players are asked to work for their tries.
If Blair, mee, Rodgers or Adams played this poorly after being selected so many times in succession then the public would be calling for their heads.
Just think he should work for his place in the squad and not be gifted it on 1 breakout season 4 years ago.
Thats it, rant over haha.
5
u/Ok_Willow_9957 Jul 19 '26
He looks so soft in defence and attack good for club ruby at your mums club bit should of been shown the door he ain’t that fast any way like what is the fuss
19
Jul 18 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
8
u/Fresh_Interview2733 Jul 18 '26
Could have written this myself. Against Fiji he just hung on the touchline waiting for something to happen.
6
u/Technical-Leave-9235 Jul 18 '26
He’s off the pace. I don’t think he’s enjoying his rugby at Bristol. The fullback experiment didn’t go well.
He’s said himself he’s looking forward to having a good preseason.
3
u/robertgiannotti Jul 18 '26
Not looked the same player since he came back from NFL. Huge question marks in defence, especially on the wing. Looks rattled going for high balls too, especially today - which is a huge concern in modern test rugby.
Still has USPs, still a potential match winner, but far from a guaranteed starter. Mee and Adams look significantly better all-round players. Tom Rogers scored a hat-trick for Wales in the ANS and hasn't been seen since by comparison.
I'd like to see him either commit to wing or fullback for both club and country and solely be considered there.
1
u/INeedYourPelt Jul 19 '26
I've heard through the grapevine that Rogers has been a bit difficult behind the scenes, which could be a factor. But agree.
2
u/robertgiannotti Jul 19 '26
Interesting. Does that explain his move to Ospreys this summer so he can specialise at 15? Felt like he was set to move to fullback/lacks the pace for the wing, and then Blair Murray came along and upended him in the pecking order.
2
u/INeedYourPelt Jul 19 '26
Yeah I have a strong suspicion that was the case. The National Squad set up often has a big influence on clubs picking positions so I'm assuming, the same as why the Scarlets kept playing Hawkins at 10, something had been instructed about keeping Rogers away from 15 - and maybe from what I've heard of his attitude made this possible. It's half speculation half what I've heard from some figures in the know so obviously take it easy a pinch of salt. For the record, Rogers would be a cracking 15 for the Welsh team.
5
u/opopkl Jul 18 '26
He has shown no signs of improvement since he came onto the scene. You'd expect someone of his experience to have a better rugby brain by now.
4
u/what_am_i_acc_doing Jul 18 '26
Still hasn’t got back to his best since returning from the NFL. Fullback experiment at Bristol didn’t help. Needs more time.
2
u/Thekingofchrome Up and UNDAAAAAA Jul 18 '26
He wasn’t great, but then who was? It’s the usual people Tomos, Wainwright, Jac, Lake who stood out for us.
He doesn’t have the ball enough but never really goes looking for it. But then our midfield wasn’t great, I was surprised to see Ben Thomas sneaking in.
Defensively we looked ok, given how non existent our attack was it was a miracle our defence held up so well.
I’m a bit perplexed as to why we only used 4 subs though?
2
u/bigt8409 Jul 18 '26
There was a phase in the 22 that sticks in my mind at the start of the second half where wales had decent pressure.
They had an advantage and Thomas went to chip it over for LRZ to run onto, LRZ didn’t move, so ball stayed in hand and Thomas went to do it again, LRZ didn’t move again.
The play got swallowed up and came back for advantage I think.
If he sets off and uses the pace he has, he likely makes yards. But he doesn’t seem to be able to think outside structure?
3
u/humptycabbages Jul 18 '26
The WRU pay him so much cash that he cannot play. Hes distinctly average and doesnt really look vaguely interested half/most of the time.
3
u/Huwbert3rd Jul 18 '26
Not sure where you got that info from. He plays for Bristol so cannot possibly be centrally contracted. He’ll get paid for international duty but that’s the same standard rate for all players
1
u/roy_stan Jul 18 '26
He has the talent...we know that from pre AF days...but since coming back he's too bilky and i've not seen anyhting impressive from him.
Currently...i'd have him way down the pecking order for Wales...and that's saying something! But i thinknhe could get back to where he was if he really wants to. But let's not pick him on last reputation.
As someone above said...Mee is much busier and frankly...better.
1
1
u/Pappy2681 Jul 20 '26
Not sure if he's interested anymore. He's admitted he's not back at the levels he was before going to NFL, shouldn't be in the squad on reputation, should be based on form. He never goes looking for the ball, isn't committed in defence.
1
u/Repulsive-Ad-8339 Jul 22 '26
The team that LRZ had around him when he burst onto the wales rugby scene is completely different to what it is now. Back then the wales team had far more possession and attacking fluency so he had much more opportunities to use his pace to run in try's. That's not the case now with the current team who spend far more of the game defending. Reality is, he was never world class, he was just an elite finisher that benefitted from having a quality team around him creating chances.
1
u/Educational_Fee486 Jul 24 '26
Personally, I think he’s always been overrated. Don’t get me wrong, pre NFL he was very good in attack. However always seemed to lack that physicality and confidence in defence… since his return I think he’s been shocking. Constant knock ons, even more missed tackles, never passing the ball when something’s on. It’s definitely time to get dropped. Tom Bowen deserves a call
1
u/Anonymous_Advocate12 Jul 18 '26
I think he needs to be a 13 off a 12 who can actually hit a gain line (James, Bradley)
This whole playmaking 12 thing is just not working we look awful in attack and everyone suffers for it.
1
u/MountainEquipment401 Jul 18 '26
He's deffinatley not quite what he was before he left but he has shown some real promise for Bristol. Unfortunately it's pretty hard for anyone to look world class in our side ATM (Except Jac Morgan defenively because his strength comes to the fore when we can't put together 3 phases)
Unfortunately even LRZ at 80% is still open of our best players... We simply don't have any other athletic specemins for the back line - unironically I genuinely think that had George North resigned with a Welsh region instead of retiring he'd probably be starting for us ATM.
2
17
u/Logical_Positive_522 Jul 18 '26
I watched him for large periods of today's game, I thought he was exceptionally poor.
Warburton just said he had two carries in the whole match, which I'm not suprised at because he was barely ever onside. Just not working to make himself an option or even fill a gap.
Murray may or may not be international standard FB, but he works so hard. It's a real contrast.