HENDY boy Josh Adams said it was "great to get off to a good start" after he ran in for four tries in the British and Irish Lions' 56-14 win over Sigma Lions.

Adams went over four times in the second half at Emirates Airline Park as the Lions launched their tour on South African soil with an emphatic eight-try rout.

It lifts his total to five tries in two starts for the Lions, after also unpicking Japan’s defence a week ago, and he already may have one foot in the Test team.

"It was great to get off to a good start here in South Africa, we played some really good stuff at times," said Adams, who was top scorer at the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

"Credit to the opposition, they put us under pressure quite a lot at the end of the first half, but we dug deep and held them out, and it was a really pleasing start for us.

"I was the beneficiary tonight, there were a couple of easy ones, I will admit, but the accuracy of the passing was something we have really focused on in training.

"That will give us opportunities to score and there's still lots more to come from us, it was definitely a step in the right direction, and we'll keep working hard."

Coach Warren Gatland praised the finishing instincts of Adams in the eight-try rout, which was probably against one of the weakest opponents they will face.

It puts the 26-year-old Cardiff Blues winger in pole position to claim one of the wing spots when the Lions come up against the Springboks on July 24.

“Josh definitely knows where the try line is and you can’t ignore what he’s achieved as a player, he was the top try scorer at the 2019 World Cup," said Gatland.

"He played for Worcester when they were bottom of the Premiership, but he was still top try scorer in the Premiership that year – and that speaks for itself.

“His timing with that inside ball for the first try, he did that a few times during the World Cup – he’s got great timing at hitting the line.

"To get four tries is pretty special for him.”

Scrum-halves Ali Price and Gareth Davies, wing Louis Rees-Zammit and man of the match Hamish Watson also crossed, while Owen Farrell landed all eight conversions.

After the agony of losing Alun Wyn Jones and Justin Tipuric to injury against Japan last Saturday, Gatland was able to deliver a clean bill of health, despite a physical encounter in Johannesburg.

It was an afternoon bursting with positives, but Gatland will not be seduced by the rout, knowing from past experience that far tougher tests await.