Cuthbert’s new injury blow just weeks after return NFL SIDES SHOW INTEREST IN LRZ
ALEX Cuthbert is facing another spell on the sidelines after pulling up with a hamstring injury in agonising circumstances while in action for the Ospreys.
Having already scored his first try for more than a year against Munster at the Swansea.com Stadium on Friday night, Cuthbert came agonisingly close to crossing the whitewash again in the final minute, a score that would have earned two bonus points for his side as they went down 27-17 on the night.
However, he pulled up just short of the line with what looked to be a hamstring injury.
The 33-year-old was visibly devastated in the wake of the incident, having only just come back following a year on the treatment table. This latest setback will subsequently have come as a body-blow to the winger, and close pal Gareth Anscombe could barely hide his own emotions at full-time.
On punditry duties for Scrum V
LOUIS Rees-Zammit has been to meet two NFL sides in the past 48 hours as he waits to discover whether he has done enough to secure a deal. Rees-Zammit was in New York on Friday with the Jets after previously visiting the Cleveland Browns.
The former Wales rugby star underwent rigorous testing as part of NFL’s IPP Pro Day on Wednesday, where he put everything he has learnt over the past two months of training into practice.
While he was reportedly “disappointed” with his 40-yard dash time of 4.44 seconds, having previously run 4.3 in training, he is said to have left the attending scouts from 31 of the NFL’s 32 teams – with no scouts there from the LA Rams – impressed with his speed and footwork.
It has also been reported that, in the wake of the Pro Day, three for the evening, Anscombe said: “I’m actually gutted for him. I don’t know...
“Look it’s tough. Clearly did really well to score their first try and would have finished that one off had that hamstring not gone.
“I don’t know what to say, I’m just gutted for him. I feel for him. I’ve seen the hard work he’s put in to get himself back and to have that happen. I don’t know.”
It was a moment that largely summed up what was a frustrating night for the Ospreys, with boss Toby Booth now awaiting a scan result to discover the full extent of the issue.
“It’s a hamstring,” he confirmed afterwards. “Obviously with the nature of it, he’s just coming back and has only had a couple of weeks. He’s had a fairly chequered injury career. So I’m devastated for him. They grade these injuries from one to four in terms of severity and until you scan it, you don’t know.”
Regional latest: Pages 50&51 unnamed NFL franchises have offered Rees-Zammit a deal to join their summer training camp. However, no official move has been announced.
Rather, the former Gloucester wing will spend the rest of the week visiting NFL teams, before flying back to the UK on Saturday. He will then reportedly extend his visa on April 2 and, from then, will be able to return to the United States for whatever further visits or workouts may be required.
Seemingly first on the list of teams to visit was the Browns, with ReesZammit training with the AFC North side on Thursday. The 23-year-old posted a photo on his Instagram story of him inside the team’s training facility, having been in Florida the previous day. It is not yet known if the Browns and Jets are two of the NFL franchises to have offered the Welshman a deal, but there is sure to be plenty of interest in securing his services.
Tampa Bay Times journalist Matt Baker, who attended the Pro Day trial, watched as scouts “grilled” Rees-Zammit, who he said “did not look like a rookie”.
“He was unfazed by a ball that’s skinnier than the one he used in his professional career overseas,” he wrote in his report. “He ran smoothly.
“His measurables were good enough. At 6ft 2in, 209 pounds, he’s about the same size as [Tampa Bay Bucaneers] receiver Chris Godwin. His 40-yard dash was unofficially around 4.4 seconds – a tick slower than what he expected, but NFLworthy.
Judging by the crowd of scouts grilling him for more information afterward, he, at minimum, is an intriguing prospect.”
Rookie mini-camps will be held in May before every team gathers for a pre-season training camp in July. Of course, Rees-Zammit’s worst case scenario is that no teams offer him a spot on their practice squad. Given the clear interest in him, such an outcome is unlikely, particularly as NFL teams can carry an international player as an extra member of the practice squad. Doing so comes with little risk and potentially huge reward for those sides, with the former Wales star being eligible for three call-ups to a team’s active roster.
Sports marketing expert Neil Hopkins, who is global head of strategy at M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment, believes Rees-Zammit has it all to make an impact in NFL.
“He certainly made a splash at Pro Day and I imagine there will be a few coaches around the league who were pleasantly surprised to see him performing so well,” he said. “They’ll know all about the top college prospects coming through into the NFL draft this year so to see someone coming out of left-field like Louis certainly gives them food for thought.
“I think if he makes the final cut onto an NFL regular season roster, it will be purely down to his own ability, performance and potential. NFL teams are obviously serious professional operations with an absolute focus on winning the Super Bowl so there is no room for passengers.
“Not only is he clearly a top-quality all-round athlete with experience of sport at the very highest level but he’s young enough to be able to learn and adapt to the dramatically different demands of the NFL.”