Josh Adams says Wales know “what needs to be done” in Sunday’s World Cup quarter-final against France.

The Six Nations champions are firm favourites to reach a second World Cup semi-final in the last three tournaments.

France knocked them out in 2011, winning a tense contest at the last-four stage, but Wales have won seven of eight subsequent meetings.

Josh Adams scores against Fiji
Josh Adams scores against Fiji in Pool D (David Davies/PA)

“It’s a tag we don’t mind having,” Wales wing Adams said.

“We have worked hard to earn the tag of being one of the best teams and if teams want to pick us as favourites, that’s fine.

“We go about our business, we know what needs to be done.

“We’ve all been pretty relaxed – like we are in most weeks.

“We all know what is at stake on Sunday, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t think you can work yourself up too early. Play the game on Sunday, not Tuesday.

“It’s slowly building, there has been an edge to us this week, a bit of spike in training, as the forwards can vouch for.

“There has been a good mood with everybody, and none of us are ready to go home.”

Adams has proved an integral contributor to Wales’ unbeaten World Cup run in Japan, scoring five tries during the pool stage.

If the Cardiff Blues player touches down on Sunday, he will equal Shane Williams’ Wales World Cup record of six tries in one competition.

Shane Williams scores against Samoa at the 2011 World Cup
Shane Williams holds the Wales record for tries at a single World Cup (David Davies/PA)

He is also only three behind the all-time World Cup mark of eight that is jointly held by Jonah Lomu, Bryan Habana and Julian Savea.

“I wasn’t aware of that (the record) until after the Uruguay game,” he added.

“Now I know I am one behind, it will be nice if I can move level with him (Williams) or even overtake him, hopefully.

“I will take it game by game. Winning is important, but if I can get tries as well, then that is obviously a bonus. Making sure we win the next game is the most important thing.

“I probably didn’t expect to be here a few years ago but we’ve worked hard, kept our heads down, done what we’ve been asked, and the hard work we’ve put in as a squad earned us a place here.

“We are really keen to put in an 80-minute performance on Sunday. It’s something we haven’t done yet, so that is vitally important for us. We know what it means to everyone back home and our families here.”

Wales have shown in defeating Georgia, Australia, Fiji and Uruguay that they can play a multi-faceted game, including a tight forward approach or moving possession wide.

And that should serve them well against a France side striving to cause an upset and book a semi-final appointment with South Africa or Japan next weekend.

“I definitely think in the last four games we’ve moved the ball quite well and have scored some good tries,” Adams said.

“We not only can grind teams down with the pack we’ve got, dominate aerially with the kicking game, we can also move the ball around and use our threats in the backs.

“It’s nice to keep teams guessing sometimes – whether we are going to come hard with the pack or shift it wide – but it’s all about trying to get a complete game. You never will, but it’s trying to get as close as you can to that.”