THOMAS: DON’T BLAME ADAMS
GARETH Thomas has made the case for Josh Adams continuing in the centre for Wales despite Saturday’s midfield misadventure against Ireland in Dublin.
One website gave Hendy product Adams a two out of 10 in their player ratings after his effort in the 29-7 Six Nations defeat at the Aviva Stadium.
Normally a wing, the scorer of 17 Test tries appeared uncertain in defence playing at No. 13 and Ireland targeted him.
His afternoon reached a low when he was yellow-carded after leading with a shoulder and felling Johnny Sexton.
But former Wales captain Thomas has outlined an argument for head coach Wayne Pivac to give the selection another whirl.
“It kind of feels like it’s a failed experiment if he just reverts back to Jonathan Davies,” said Thomas on BBC Wales’s Scrum V programme.
“If you want to play a George North-type person in the centre then you give him another pop, but you give him a pop with motivation this time.
“It’s like, ‘OK, people have started doubting you. Go out there and show them what you are capable of doing.’”
The issue is one Wales need to get right.
Their confidence will be brittle after the weekend’s schooling in the Irish capital and they need to take the field against Scotland this weekend with every player comfortable in his role.
Another unconvincing display from Adams could prove costly against a side who defeated England in round one and will be determined to post their first success over Wales in Cardiff in 20 years.
On the other side of the coin, Pivac will have noted that Adams made more metres than any other Welsh player and there were three other Welsh backs who missed more tackles than he missed.
Pivac was quick to jump to Adams’s defence in the wake of Wales’s thumping defeat.
When the Cardiff wing was off the field, Andy Farrell’s men managed to finally convert their relentless pressure into an unassailable lead.
Despite blotting his copybook in such a notable way in his first Test start in midfield, Pivac said he wouldn’t point the finger of blame at the 26-year-old.
“I think Josh saved us on a number of occasions,” said the Wales coach.
“It’s easy to talk about the people out wide but it’s what goes on inside first, how quick we are to react at the first breakdown and the numbers we get on the far side of the ruck, the near side if they switch back or not.
“I think to single out one person is not the right thing to do. You’ll find when you break this game down that he didn’t go too badly at all.”
And on the topic of the yellow card, which proved crucial in allowing an
Irish side that largely failed to capitalise on their dominance to break down a determined Welsh scramble defence, Pivac alluded to it as “one of those things”.
“Seeing it live the referee thought it was fine, two players colliding,” he added.
“The ball went one way and Josh has gone the other.
“He’s picked up a yellow card and we move on.”
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