Popham wants positive feedback

Wales number eight Alix Popham has ordered family and friends to keep him informed of the public mood at home only if the verdict on the nation’s World Cup progress is positive.

The barnstorming Llanelli Scarlets back-row star has gone so far as to order his mother not to repeat any critical comments she reads or hears from the media as Popham and his team-mates attempt to defy the critics and emerge from the tournament with reputations enhanced.

Asked what the nation is entitled to expect of Gareth Jenkins’ side at the tournament, in which their campaign opens on Sunday in Nantes against Canada, Popham replied that the nation is entitled to expect a result against them.

“We just want support all the way through. The media has been negative and the public has not been happy, but it would make a massive difference for everyone to be behind us,” said Popham.

“The boys say they don’t read the papers, but sometimes you do and it may not affect you, but if you see something good written about you and an article recalls good things you’ve done in the past, it’s only going to help.

“If you go into the tournament not so much believing you are the best player in the world, but that you are a decent player – and the boys know they are – it will help.

“We have just got to go there thinking we can do a job and wanting to do a job.

“But I only want my family and friends to tell me what’s in the papers if it’s good. I’ve had to tell my mother that. She tells me all the time what’s been said and written and I’ve learned my lesson.

“You are going to get people who believe you shouldn’t be playing. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but it’s about what you feel and you want to feel positive because otherwise it’s only going to affect your game.

“Wales is mad in terms of the way emotions about the national team fluctuate, but we have to take the bad with the good. We just want some positive feelings going into the tournament.”

If Wales do not come up to expectations or, perhaps even worse, fail to see off lower-ranked pool rivals Canada, Japan and Fiji, the fall-out and repercussions are likely to be swift and ruthless for many concerned.

However, Popham is confident that improvements in certain areas of Wales’ performances during warm-up games against Argentina and France – despite a 34-7 defeat in the latter – augur well.

“We know from the games we’ve played that everything is going in the right direction and it’s a matter of improving on that and keeping it going. It’s a matter of getting a result,” said Popham.

“On a personal note, I think my form has gone well. It’s not been perfect, but the games we’re playing at the tournament probably suit me because they’re a bit more physical against big packs.

“It’s gone well. In the Argentina game we didn’t care how we played – we just wanted a result. But things went quite well. We were quite physical up front and did our job.

“We took that into the French game and we improved our line-out and our attacks from scrums so everything is going in the right direction.”