ADAMS: WE ARE MAKING STRIDES
JOSH Adams says he can understand the sense of frustration surrounding Wales after a year that delivered just three Test match victories.
Wales ended 2020 exactly how they started it – with a home win against Italy – but Georgia were the only other team they toppled.
England, France and Ireland all beat Wales twice, while Scotland’s Guinness Six Nations triumph in October was a first for them on Welsh soil for 18 years.
It means that Wales will not be among the Six Nations title favourites next year – Ireland, Scotland and England are their first three opponents – but Adams is not about to join the gloom and doom merchants.
Asked to rate Wales’s year out of 10, Adams said: “It would be a 6.5, maybe? It could definitely be better.
“At times it has been disappointing, and I can understand everyone’s frustrations, don’t get me wrong.
“What we spoke about when we came off the field is where we began, and where we finished, I think most people can agree is a massive improvement.
“That is the main thing for us, that when we go back to our clubs we don’t slip off.
“We are all going to be given areas to improve on, and will be asked to make strengths.
“Because, ultimately, come the end of January that’s a massive competition (Six Nations), isn’t it?
“That is the tournament in the calendar – the big one, if you like. It’s about picking up where we left off.
“It’s going to be about the boys that carry over some form from this campaign to their club rugby. If boys go well for their clubs, then they will definitely put themselves in the driver’s seat come the Six Nations.
“It is about not slipping away now. Let’s build on what we have done as players, the platform we’ve got, and let’s take ourselves to the next level.”
Wales head coach Wayne Pivac claimed the majority of his squad were “well behind the eight ball” in terms of fitness levels when they assembled in October following lockdown, stating: “They didn’t come out of club rugby too well, to be honest.”
And Hendy product Adams added: “As much as boys put in the hard work, their own conditioning and weights, a rugby match is totally different.
“You can run up and down a field all day, but when you get yourself into a rugby match the conditioning is totally different.
“I do agree with what he (Pivac) said, that we were a little behind the pace.
“We’ve worked extremely hard in the eight weeks here, and as he said before we left the changing rooms, we’ve got ourselves in Test match condition now.
“Boys are looking really good, fit, strong, the majority of us are healthy, so that’s a good thing to come out of it.”