'I have never lost in Cardiff. It's my 24th cap on Saturday, and I have never lost at home'
Wales try machine Josh Adams admits he is left “a little bit gutted” if he fails to score in games.
The Cardiff Blues wing has established a reputation as one of world rugby’s most lethal finishers, posting 14 tries across his 23-cap Wales career.
Ten of those touchdowns have come in the last nine Tests, including two hat-tricks, and he ended the 2019 World Cup as top try-scorer.
It is why he will be arguably Wales’ sharpest attacking weapon when they tackle Guinness Six Nations opponents France in Cardiff on Saturday.
“I’m a little bit gutted in some ways if I don’t score a try,” he said. “Scoring tries is great, and I absolutely love doing it.
“I look for opportunities every chance I can get. I am always floating around the field, probably in positions you wouldn’t expect me to be, always there trying to sniff out a try.
“As long as I can make a positive impact for the team, if I make a line break and don’t score but give it to somebody else and that is a right option, that’s what I will do.
“Whichever way I can make a positive impact for us as a team is the most important thing. If tries come off the back of that, fantastic.
“My contract is up with the RFU at the end of the season… but I’m fit as I have ever been – that’s what my scores tell me”
– veteran match official Wayne Barnes talks to @heagneyl ahead of his latest Six Nations assignment #WALvFRA 🏴🇫🇷https://t.co/R6KYLJ5svz— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 22, 2020
“I will just keep doing that, and hopefully that will lead to more tries and opportunities for us as a team.
“It is just one of those things where if you score a try it is great, but the winning is the best thing at the end.
“As long as we come off the field at the end and we have won the game, there is no better feeling than that.”
Adams will be part of a Wales team containing a Six Nations-record 859 caps this weekend, while they have won eight of the last nine Tests against France.
AWJ tackles teammate's 'cheat' comments and Raphael Ibanez's bizarre comments about Dan Biggar's return to play from his most recent HIA. #WALvFRA 🏴🇫🇷https://t.co/8zCNoBtqsF
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 21, 2020
Wales, though, are on the back of a 24-14 defeat against Ireland last time out, with Adams’ contribution lasting just 25 minutes before an injury forced him off.
“Always with good teams you see, after a loss, there is a reaction the next time they play,” he added.
“We have looked at the game, seen where we went wrong, things we could work on.
“Tuesday (this week) I would like to say was probably the best training day we have had as a squad since we have come in.
“Everybody was sharp, there was a bit of brutality in there, we were getting stuck into each other and it had a real feel of we need to put things right on Saturday.
Runs on petrol but you can plug him into the mains at halftime if you need a top-up. https://t.co/BTNvUyZvva
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 22, 2020
“It was the same again on Thursday, when we had a really good session.
“We need a step up in performance, we are home, a full crowd, and Cardiff rocks when there’s everybody in there.
“I have never lost in Cardiff. It’s my 24th cap on Saturday, and I have never lost at home. I definitely don’t want to know what that feels like.”
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Comments on RugbyPass
I agree ..come on keyboard warriors and journalists looking for a cheap win ….. only 2 mins to go 12 points down …this DID NOT decide the game and beside JM was hit after the whistle and in response it was a pat on the back of the head …harmless ….watch soccer if this is your issue
4 Go to commentsRest is for namby pamby sissies, I see. True men should overcome their trifling injuries by playing week in, week out. Bidwell’s stance reminds me of a Jon Gadsby character from the 70s, a rugby captain giving an after-match speech: “It was a very physical contest. One of our players caught a boot on the back of his head in a ruck, and he died, actually. But to his credit, he played on.”
1 Go to commentsI still see nothing in Sotutus play that hes changed his upright running style that failed so many times against decent international defences like the french. Other than that… Iose? Well you have covered his limitations well. If Sititi had been playing the the season… Jacobson? Grace?…Neither shout pick me. So Ardie it is.
1 Go to commentsThere isn’t one element you mentioned there that every top class or successful team gets up to. The great All blacks sides used to play on the ‘fringes or edge’ but it was essentially saying they were doing something illegal or borderline to gain dominance. The fine margins at the top are minute between the top sides. La Rochelle, the crusaders, Saracens, Toulon etc etc…..have all been accused. Get over it, the comment comes across as salty and naive. Northampton as well as they played to get back into the match were thoroughly beaten and controlled for 60 minutes and Leinster have only themselves to blame for kicking it away and hence losing control of the match and being nearly the architects of their own downfall.
2 Go to commentsThere is some talent coming thru thats for sure. The 10 looks special to me. Rico Simpson is a name to look for in the future.
1 Go to commentsI think this quiet honestly is just an innocent misunderstanding by someone who is pig sh*t stupid. Eben is a fine player but by christ, if he can’t understand or get what the Irish players were trying to say to him after the match…..well i hope he has someone looking after his finances, career and is reading the fine print for him, cause life after rugby may be quite difficult for the vacuous echo chamber.
27 Go to commentsIt could be Doris' day!
3 Go to commentsThe whole thing has blown up because Eben’s words have clearly struck a nerve in Ireland. Otherwise they would just laugh it off. I think some former Irish players, commentators and some Irish fans know deep down this Ireland team started to believe its own press and that a certain amount of arrogance had started to creep in during the World Cup. The topic was actually brought up by Irish pundits on Off the Ball recently. It’s fine to be arrogant if you can back it up. Ireland didn’t.
27 Go to comments‘The Irish are good people'. Why is Goode praising a people who hate his own? Wet wipe.
27 Go to commentsLa mejor final que se puede ver en el emisferio norte.
1 Go to commentsA lot of cope from south africans in the comments. Etzebeth is a liar and a hypocrite; you don’t have to defend him!
27 Go to commentsHe got big and really slow for a flyhalf…not sure he’s relevant in a bok conversation anymore
4 Go to commentsBest tourney team vs best team in the regular season for 3 games in RSA - talk is cheap, let’s see what’s what on the tour
27 Go to commentsOne overlooked statistic from their 2016 winning season is the Huricanes are still the only team in Super rugby history not to concede a try during the playoff rounds.
4 Go to commentsThanks for the article, Nick. The Nienaber blitz D does ask a lot of its scrumhalf. I have been watching JGP on D and he often looks like he has mastered what Nienaber asks for better than Faf de Klerk and Cobus Reinach! 🤣 Impressive season by JGP if I must make an understatement.
22 Go to commentsOkay last one. I promise. I think it’s despicable for Andy Goode to suggest that Eben can’t count to 12. To be fair he only had to count to 8 - the number of Irishmen who DIDN’T say that. Less the 3 kiwis of course. 23 - 12 - 3 = 8. See Joe. I can do maffs.
27 Go to commentsCheers, Nick! How do you see the Reds’ Jock Campbell’s play this year? Not as strong a carrier as Andrew Kellaway or Tom Wright, but does avoid errors. Do you see Joe Schmidt as wanting safety first at 15 or a try-assisting counterattacker?
91 Go to commentsI’m sure this was all just a big misunderstanding. Irishmen and Afrikaaners conversing in a noisey stadium. Not easy to get the right messages across. A minefield.
27 Go to commentsSay what you will about Andy Goode. But he is right about one thing… I’m not sure what that one thing is exactly… but I’m willing to hear him out.
27 Go to commentsAnother article to bait and trigger Irish fans. This must stop.
27 Go to comments