{"id":290141,"date":"2023-09-09T18:49:24","date_gmt":"2023-09-09T18:49:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports-life-news.com\/?p=290141"},"modified":"2023-09-09T18:49:24","modified_gmt":"2023-09-09T18:49:24","slug":"josh-adams-thinks-wales-will-play-toughest-fiji-team-theyve-faced","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports-life-news.com\/rugby-union\/josh-adams-thinks-wales-will-play-toughest-fiji-team-theyve-faced\/","title":{"rendered":"Josh Adams thinks Wales will play 'toughest Fiji team' they've faced"},"content":{"rendered":"
Josh Adams wasn\u2019t present for the arrival of his first child in 2021 and watched on Zoom from the Lions tour of South Africa as his partner Georgia gave birth alone.<\/p>\n
The top try-scorer at the last World Cup in Japan was there as he and Georgia welcomed their new son Beauden prior to Adams flying to France.<\/p>\n
It meant Adams departed for his second global showpiece with a spring in his step. He will need it on Sunday, as Wales target an opening win against Fiji in Bordeaux.<\/p>\n
\u2018It was pretty straightforward,\u2019 Adams said of his son\u2019s arrival.<\/p>\n
\u2018My partner had our baby boy two weeks ago. I was there for this one which was nice.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Josh Adams recently welcomed the arrival of his second child – and was able to be present for the birth this time around<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Looking ahead to Wales’ World Cup opener, he said it would be ‘probably the toughest Fiji team we have faced’<\/p>\n
\u2018Childbirth is a crazy thing and watching it on Zoom was probably a lot different to being there in person. They are both doing brilliant.\u2019<\/p>\n
Adams starred at the 2019 World Cup, scoring seven times. Wales faced Fiji in the pool stages in the Far East, Adams bagging a treble in a tricky encounter his team just edged after falling 10-0 behind and losing then hooker Ken Owens to a yellow card. \u2018Another hat-trick would be nice,\u2019 quipped Adams with a smile.<\/p>\n
\u2018There were a couple of clips we’ve watched from 2019. You don’t blow them (Fiji) away early doors \u2013 they are competitive and have got a lot better since we played them in 2019.<\/p>\n
\u2018This is probably the toughest Fiji team we have faced.<\/p>\n
\u2018As a team, we are all just desperate to get out and play now.\u2019<\/p>\n
Fiji are the top-ranked team in Pool C and beat England at Twickenham last month.<\/p>\n
The Pacific Islanders are hugely dangerous, but the loss of playmaker Caleb Muntz to a tournament-ending knee injury has disrupted them.<\/p>\n
\u2018One of my catchphrases is play like a Fijian, so traditionally that’s the offloading, the quick touch and aggressive ball carrying,\u2019 said their head coach Simon Raiwalui said.<\/p>\n
\u2018That’s what I’ve really pushed \u2013 to play like a Fijian.\u2019<\/p>\n
That may well spell trouble for Wales and the likes of centre Nick Tompkins, who has the unenviable task of trying to keep Fijian magician Semi Radradra quiet.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Wales are preparing hard to open their campaign against the top-ranked team in Pool C<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Fiji will be without playmaker Caleb Muntz, whose tournament-ending knee injury has disrupted them\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Fiji head coach\u00a0Simon Raiwalui said that he wants his team to ‘play like Fijians’ – though they have worked on areas where they were traditionally weaker\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018Semi has played for Bristol and been outstanding. You watch the magic he can do. I won’t say I am intimidated by it \u2013 you have just got to be prepared for it,\u2019 Tompkins said.<\/p>\n
\u2018You have got to stop the off-load and you have got to front up.\u2019<\/p>\n
On Wales, Raiwalui added: \u2018They’ll come very well prepared, they’ll be tactically astute, and they’ll be looking at things they can attack us with. They obviously have a very good tactical game.<\/p>\n
\u2018But we’re a different Fijian team. We’ve worked on certain areas that have traditionally been a weakness for us so it’s going to be a good challenge.\u2019<\/p>\n