'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.”
Press Association