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How Wales have rated Josh Adams on his return to training following two-game ban
Josh Adams has been described as “excellent” in training since his return to the Wales set-up this week following his suspension for the first two rounds of the Guinness Six Nations. The 25-year-old, who has scored 14 tries in his 29 Test appearances, fell foul of the Welsh squad over two weeks ago after it emerged that he had broken the strict virus protocols surrounding the Wayne Pivac’s squad.
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Adams attended a gathering with his immediate family present on January 31, the day after the full Wales squad were released from camp ahead of their Six Nations opener with Ireland.
The squad linked back up on February 2 at their Vale Resort base and the Welsh Rugby Union reported that the breach was immediately raised and acted upon, resulting in a two-game ban for Adams.
His absence didn’t affect Wales as they went on to win their opening two games versus Ireland and Scotland, with 20-year-old winger Louis Rees-Zammit emerging as a try-scoring hero on both occasions.
Adams has now returned to training with Wales ahead of the February 27 round three game at home to England and assistant coach Stephen Jones has given his approval regarding the quality of the input so far from the winger now that his ban is over.
The inside track from Gloucester on the intriguing Rees-Zammit vs May head-to-head on the wing which has the potential to hog the attention when Wales host England on February 27#SixNations #WALvENG #PremRugby
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 18, 2021
“Excellent. He has been superb,” reported Jones on Thursday. “He has worked incredibly hard as you would expect from Josh, he is a great person. He has trained incredibly hard. He is desperate to put the Welsh jersey on, as is everybody in the group. He has been superb.”
Top try-scorer at the 2019 World Cup and one of the first names on the Wales teamsheet in recent times, Adams has come back to the mix with a huge job on his hands to regain selection as Rees-Zammit and Liam Williams impressed at Murrayfield.
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“Top try scorer in the World Cup, which is superb credit to Josh. Competition for places is what we want,” Jones continued. “It’s healthy and as we challenge ourselves daily to improve, results are starting to come now and it’s great. Strength in depth is what we want. Selection headaches, whatever way you want to term it, that is exactly what we want as coaches.”
Wales had to overcome a huge injury list to emerge unbeaten from the opening two rounds of the Six Nations. Jones has now given an update on many of those injuries, starting with concussed trio Hallam Amos, Johnny Williams and Leigh Halfpenny.
“Hallam and Leigh are still going through the protocols. Johnny Williams is good,” he said. “I’m not sure of the medical situation (regarding George North’s foot), but the good thing is he back training. Those boys (North and Jonathan Davies) took part in training and (were given) what I believe is full green light. Same for Josh Navidi (neck).” Tomos Williams remains out of the reckoning, though.
The Scottish prop's extra week off has ignited online debate #SixNationshttps://t.co/FNrQvAsYKq
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 17, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
To me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
30 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
30 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
30 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
30 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
30 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
30 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
30 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to commentsI think he is right, SBW is respected in RSA. The guy who never stood up is a worm. Sseems lots of NZ SBW hate, you do the crime do the time.
17 Go to comments