Josh Adams won 16 of his first 20 Tests with Wales after making his debut in 2018.
He quickly became used to success at international level, winning a Six Nations Grand Slam in 2019 and then becoming the top try-scorer at that year’s World Cup as his team reached the semi-finals.
Now, Adams and Wales are on a run of four straight defeats in 2024. Warren Gatland’s side have lost 11 of their past 12 Six Nations matches.
Unless they beat Italy, they will finish bottom of the Championship table for the first time since 2003.
‘Sometimes you learn best from your losses, but there are only learnings if you show improvements the following week. Otherwise, there is no point,’ Adams said.
Josh Adams and Wales are on a run of four defeats and are bottom of the Six Nations table
Adams won a Six Nations Grand Slam in 2019 and was top-scorer in that year’s World Cup
Wales will finish bottom of the Six Nations for the first time since 2003 if they fail to beat Italy
‘I won my first Test at home against Scotland, I lost away against England at Twickenham, and then I didn’t lose for nine Tests after that.
‘I was in a team that didn’t know how to lose. That’s the sort of place we are going to have to get to now — where it becomes second nature and we understand how to close games out. It’s a big week for us. It would be really good to finish with a win. We desperately want and need that. Of course you don’t want a wooden spoon. It’s a new experience for a new squad.’
When Adams first arrived on the international scene, Wales were a winning machine. They briefly rose to No 1 in World Rugby’s official rankings.
Things are very different these days. Gatland has a rookie squad at his disposal. Times are tough in the Welsh game. And Italy were 22-21 winners on their last visit to the Principality Stadium in 2022.
In years gone by, Wales have been used to competing for a Grand Slam and the Six Nations title on ‘Super Saturday’. In 2024, the pressure is on once again but for a different reason.
‘Pressure when you are in a game to win something feels a little bit different,’ 28-year-old back Adams said.
‘There is something at the end of it, whereas this is a situation where we can’t afford to lose. International rugby is a cut-throat business and you need to perform at your best every week.
Italy beat Scotland, drew with France and only narrowly lost out to England in the Six Nations
‘We have to have the mindset that international rugby is all about winning. We haven’t been able to do that yet. We are desperate to win. Italy have improved really well.
‘I’ve been in a relegation battle in the Premiership with Worcester. We lost our first seven games of the season and we were miles adrift. It came down to a game against London Irish where it was pretty much whoever wins would stay up. This is similar in a way.
‘You have to embrace it. Not shy away. We need the mentality to take this head on and finish with what we feel we deserve from this, which is a good victory.
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