Louis Rees-Zammit withdrawn at last-minute as emotional scenes break out | Rugby | Sport

Here are your evening rugby headlines for Sunday, December 14.

Louis Rees-Zammit withdrawn from squad

Louis Rees-Zammit was pulled from the Bristol Bears lineup to face Pau on Sunday evening at the 11th hour. The Welsh star had initially been selected at full-back by director of rugby Pat Lam, a departure from his usual wing position. However, two hours before kick-off, Rees-Zammit was one of two players removed from the matchday squad. He and Max Lahiff were replaced by Benjamin Elizalde and Jimmy Halliwell for the French side’s visit to Ashton Gate in Champions Cup action.

Lam explained before the match: “We had training and when he came out his calf was a bit tight and he dropped out of training on Friday so we took the precaution and pulled him out, the same with Max Lahiff.” The Bears kicked off their European campaign with a narrow one-point triumph over Scarlets last weekend, with Rees-Zammit crossing for the match-winning try at Parc y Scarlets.

Dragons break losing streak

Scenes of jubilation erupted at Rodney Parade this evening as the Dragons secured their first victory of 2025.

They fought back to defeat Lyon 23-21 in Newport, claiming their first win in 364 days.

As supporters roared their approval, players embraced at the final whistle, with an overwhelming sense of relief washing over them following such a prolonged winless spell.

A touching scene unfolded as the entire squad, coaching staff, academy youngsters and club personnel gathered in a circle on the turf, whilst head coach Filo Tiatia and several players were observed in prayer following the final whistle.

Pyrotechnics were then ignited during the players’ festivities, catching Wales international Aaron Wainwright off guard, who confessed in his post-match discussion that he felt “relieved” their difficult sequence had finally ended.

“Probably relief,” he responded when questioned about his primary feeling at the final whistle. “The boys have put in some massive shifts over the past couple of weeks, Leinster at home and we’ve been on the wrong end of a couple of draws I think.

“To be able to grind that out at the end shows the determination and the grit we have in this group. I think you can hear from the crowd’s reaction at the end, how tough a place this is to come and to have them supporting us is amazing.”

Corniel van Zyl: It was a rollercoaster

Cardiff boss Corniel van Zyl admits he remains baffled as to how the Arms Park outfit managed to edge past Ulster in Saturday evening’s Challenge Cup encounter.

The Welsh capital side mounted a remarkable comeback to shock the Irish province, securing victory through Callum Sheedy’s dramatic last-gasp penalty.

Pure resilience dragged them back into contention and the Wales number 10 displayed ice-cold composure when striking the decisive three-pointer.

“It was a rollercoaster,” he said. “We started well but we missed an opportunity which we could have gone three scores up.

“We know Ulster are a quality side so it’s going to take a lot of defending as well to get on top. I felt we did okay at times and then very good at others and then probably not so good at times.

“But it was a big momentum game. When they went 14 points up, it was like, we need to find something here. To be fair, I actually don’t know how they did it but one try at a time and then see what happens.

“Both of the last two kicks (were impressive). To get that right and then convert it was crucial to go 26-all.

“When Ben Thomas dropped that ball at the end, was like… Okay. But then that’s the beauty about it. We back our scrum, obviously go for the penalty which is a crucial point in the game. It’s a pleasure to see.”