While there was a sparkling display from Louis Rees-Zammit, it was another Welsh winger who had the final word in Friday night’s west country derby at Ashton Gate. Test star Rees-Zammit scored one try and set up a second for Gloucester in their Gallagher Premiership clash with Bristol, showing off his blistering pace and predatory finishing. You can read about the reaction to his performance here.
But it was a less heralded Welsh-qualified wide man who produced the match-winning score amid a thrilling finale. Former Ebbw Vale flyer Toby Fricker went over in the 79th minute for his second try of the night to earn Bristol a 29-28 victory to the delight of the home fans.
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He had crossed for his first touchdown 12 minutes earlier after taking a scoring pass from Welsh flanker Dan Thomas. Then, in the dying stages of the game, came his big moment. Collecting the ball on the bounce out on the right, he shook off one defender and then rode the tackle of another to squeeze in at the corner, avoiding his feet going into touch.
World Cup winner Ben Kay was suitably impressed on commentary for BT Sports, saying: “What a finish! The ball just wouldn’t come to him. He’s desperate for it to. It makes it so much more difficult to finish.”
It was a sweet ending to the game for Fricker and a real contrast in emotions to his first half. Rees-Zammit had cut inside him to set up a try for scrum-half Charlie Chapman via a superb offload and then arced outside him for his own score, demonstrating his "unbelievable acceleration", to again quote Kay.
But it was the 26-year-old Fricker who had the final decisive say on what was his first league start since Boxing Day, having recovered from a chest injury. He was born in Clapham, but his father is from Builth Wells and he has represented Wales in Rugby Europe Sevens.
Speaking previously about his roots, he said: “My dad is firmly Welsh and that rubbed off on me. When I was younger I supported Wales, but I realised from going up to Ebbw Vale how Welsh I really was after growing up as a London boy! I loved playing there and my dad loved me playing in Wales.”
It was Fricker’s performances for Welsh Academicals, while he was studying in Bristol, that alerted the Steelmen to his talents and he went on to be named Premiership newcomer of the year in 2018.
Reflecting on his time at Eugene Cross Park, he told the South Wales Argus : “The character-building from playing there was incredible and you get some real talent in that league. You learn a lot from each individual, from the tradesmen that get up at 5am to go to work, then put in so many hours before doing a two-hour training session in the evenings, then going home to their families, then get up at 5am to go to work again. That commitment left an impression on me.”
As for being with Bristol, who he joined in 2019, he added: “I always wanted to play at a level like this, but there was never a time when I was in deepest south Wales with the Ebbw boys that I thought I would be at with Bristol with players like Steve Luatua and Charles Piutau. It’s pretty incredible and I am very lucky and privileged to be here and it was Ebbw Vale that gave me the platform to get here.”
