Wales star Adams reveals his unlikely childhood hero

Given he grew up an avid Scarlets fan, Josh Adams had a rather unlikely favourite player as a youngster.

The man in question didn’t play for the Llanelli-based team - in fact, he wasn’t even Welsh!

Let the Cardiff Rugby wing explain all as he prepares for Friday’s huge United Rugby Championship Kids Round clash with play-off rivals Munster Rugby at the Arms Park.

“My grandfather used to take me to the Scarlets at the old Stradey Park every home game, every Saturday, from the age of about six or seven until I was about 13,” he recalls.

“We had terrific seats about three rows behind the away team’s dug out.

“So I grew up watching the Scarlets. I absolutely adored watching them.

“But, then, I remember watching them play the Ospreys and, for some reason, Tommy Bowe was just a player who I could resonate with, the way he played the game.

“He maybe wasn’t the biggest or the fastest of lads. But he was just a smart, clever rugby player who could move across the back line in different positions and was very skilful.

“So he was somebody I really liked to watch and tried to emulate.

“It’s strange. You would think going to Stradey Park, watching the Scarlets play every week, it would have been someone from them and there were multiple great players in that team - Regan King, Dwayne Peel, Barry Davies, Mark Jones, Tal Selley.

“There was a cracking back line that I loved watching but Tommy Bowe was the one weirdly.”

Adams - who was to join the Scarlets as a teenager before moving on to Worcester and then Cardiff - didn’t cross paths with Ireland star Bowe.

“I never got his autograph and unfortunately I never played against him,” he said.

“During our crossover time, I was with Worcester in the Premiership and he was playing for Ulster. Then, by the time I came back to Cardiff, he had knocked it on the head.

“So I never got to play against him and that’s something I would have absolutely loved to do.”

Reflecting on his own journey in the game, Adams - who turned 30 this week - said: “I have loved rugby from a very young age.

“I grew up obsessed with it. I watched everything and went to every home match. I have been absolutely glued to the game since I can remember.

“I have always loved playing rugby, but I didn’t really know whether I would be able to kick on to be a professional because there were so many good players around at the time.

“I think you need a bit of luck in this game to really make a break, you need things to go your way.

“I was probably around 18 or 19 when I thought I could really try and make a career out of this.”

Having come through the Scarlets Academy, Adams was to win 14 caps for Wales U20s but then in 2015 he was released by the region.

He was to rebuild his career with Worcester, earning a first senior Wales call-up in 2018 and has gone from strength to strength, winning 61 caps and going on the 2021 Lions tour of South Africa.

Looking back now, what words of wisdom would he have for the young Josh Adams?

“There would be a lot of advice that I would be giving him,” he replies.

“When I was younger, I thought things were naturally going to progress. When I went through the Academy, I was probably quite naive.

“I just thought the natural progression was I will go from here to here and then I’ll go here, I will be in the senior set up and there would just be a flow.

“But I had a kick up the backside when I left the Scarlets and it just made me realise that if you want to make something of it, you’ve actually got to put the graft in and work harder.”

The Swansea-born Adams has been with Cardiff since 2019 and has just extended his stay by signing a new contract.

“It was a pretty easy decision in the end, to be honest, pretty straightforward. We got it done quickly, so I was pleased,” he says.

“There were a few reasons, most importantly family. They are the number one priority and they are very happy.

“We have got a great support network where we are, family are close. We’ve got two young children and that helps massively with that. It makes my life a lot easier and takes a lot of pressure off my wife.

“I have also been really impressed with the progress we have made as a playing squad over the past couple of seasons. We have got some great young talent here.

“As a player, you can sometimes think there is always something better out there. But I am really happy here and really enjoy it, so why would I want to change?”

Adams made his 50th appearance for Cardiff in last Saturday’s 36-19 Judgement Day victory over the Ospreys at the Principality Stadium.

That’s a result which has taken them up to sixth in the URC table and set up a mouth-watering home clash with Munster who are just one point and one place behind.

“It’s very nice to be in this position at this time of year actually fighting for something.

“In seasons gone by, we’ve pretty much been looking up the table with no realistic chance of getting in the top eight.

“Now we are right in the meat of it with a really good shot.

“I asked the question in a meeting the other day - when was the last time Cardiff got in the league play-offs and they said they’ve never been in there.

“That came as a shock to me, a club of this magnitude, so this is an opportunity for this group to be the first team to do that.”

There’s set to be a full house at the Arms Park for the pivotal meeting with Munster. It will be Cardiff’s final home game of the season, so the last chance for a while for youngsters to come onto the pitch at the end of the match.

That’s something which brings back childhood memories for Adams.

“At Stradey, you could actually go on at half-time there years ago, believe it or not,” he says.

“I remember buying a kicking tee before a game in the club shop and going on at half-time and trying to boot the ball over the polls.

“I don’t think half-time would quite work now but full-time at the Arms Park is pretty unique. I don’t know of another ground where that can happen.

“For them to be able to run on and see their heroes as soon as the final whistle is blown - when we are battered and covered in blood and sweat - I think it’s great.

“That’s probably something which brings a lot of people back here, especially the younger generation - the fact they are able to be that up and close with the players on the field straight after the game.”

FRIDAY

Cardiff Rugby v Munster

Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff – KO 7.35pm IRE & UK/8.35pm ITA & SA

Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR, 39th league game)

AR 1: Mike English (WRU) AR 2: Aaron Parry (WRU)

TMO: Stefano Roscini (FIR)

Live on: BBC Wales, TG4, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv