Cardiff Blues’ director of rugby, Dai Young, has been left impressed by Josh Adams’ top class attitude, both on and off the field.
Having crossed for five tries in his last six appearances for club and country, the 2019 Rugby World Cup top try scorer has been named in an unchanged backline for Friday’s crucial Guinness PRO14 Rainbow Cup clash against Munster.
While Young understands the need to find a balance between protecting Adams and ensuring he heads to South Africa with match sharpness, but admits it can be tough to hold the highly-competitive wing back.
The director of rugby said: “Speaking to Josh, he’s involved in this game but we wouldn’t risk him if he had picked up a knock.
“He’s eager to play, but it’s a difficult situation because you want to make sure these boys get on the plane and support them in that.
“But, in saying that, they’re fully aware that they can’t be wrapped in cotton wool and they need to hit the ground running. So they need to play.
“He’s been away to meet up with the rest of the Lions squad this week, and spend the day together, and I’m sure he’s getting excited about the tour.
“But he certainly wants to play. He’s involved this week and time will tell whether he’ll be involved in what could potentially be our last game against Zebre.
“I can’t speak highly enough of his attitude, both on and off the field.
“It even reached a point where we took him off in the last game and he gave me stick for taking him off!
“He had treatment twice on a tight neck, so I took him off as I wouldn’t want him to miss the tour, but he gave me stick because he felt that he was alright to play.
“His attitude is that he wants to play, so that’s why he’s involved in this game, and we’ll see where we are after that.
“If he was struggling throughout the week, I definitely wouldn’t risk him.”
A three-time British and Irish Lions tourist, Young will be fully aware of the rollercoaster of emotions that Adams will experience over the coming months.
With Warren Gatland’s side meeting in London earlier this week for their first assembly as a squad, Young expects the wing would’ve felt a mix of nerves and excitement as preparations for the South African tour moves up a gear.
The former international prop explained: “You’ve got a little bit of nerves because you don’t know everyone in the room, but us Welsh always gravitate towards each other.
“We’ll always find that we mingle with each other, and that’s always the case.
“You start to feel that it’s real when you get to those assembly days and you realise how big a thing it is.
“There’s so much attention on it, you get so much kit and you’re really starting to feel that it’s real.
“But more than anything it’s excitement and you can’t wait to get going then.”