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Gloucester outside half Adam Hastings has an uncanny ability to capture the attention of social media, including an incredible drop goal from his own half and being on the receiving end of a massive hit delivered by a 123kg Fijian second row.
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His latest internet contribution has been constantly replayed to try and work out how he deftly moved the ball behind his back and then dropped it onto his left foot, nutmegging the dumbfounded defence.
Hastings produced this moment of unique individual skill in the European Challenge Cup quarter-final 23-13 win over Ospreys at Kingsholm. So, how many times had he produced this trick in a match? The answer is a remarkable “never before” for a move that he first attempted as a 10-year-old playing in the garden with his cousins.
The 27-year-old told RugbyPass: “Those things aren’t seen very often and get clicks and I refer to that as backyard bulls**t! I do remember doing it with my cousins and it is something I do mucking about before training but I had never done it before in a game.
“I don’t really know why I did it to be honest – it was a bit pointless – but I thought I could sneak it through if there was more of a disguise on it.”
Wizardry from @adamhastings96 🪄
📺 @tntsports @discoveryplusUK#ChallengeCupRugby | #GLOvOSP pic.twitter.com/xizAGTAjFN
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) April 12, 2024
Hastings, who will be rejoining Glasgow Warriors at the end of the season, first became an online sensation courtesy of a thumping 53m drop goal against London Irish while the massive tackle by Fijian lock Ratu Rotuisolia forced the Gloucester No10 off in the 42nd minute of Scotland’s win at Murrayfield in 2022.
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“I would rather go viral for a kick than being smashed by a Fijian,” admitted Hastings. “I had to watch it back because I couldn’t remember the tackle. I didn’t know what had happened and it is horrible. My mates are quite cruel and like tagging me into those videos of me getting smashed and hopefully, there are less of those highlights coming out.”
The Fijian hit came during a debilitating run of injuries for Hastings who has undergone four operations and countless weeks of rehabilitation working with the medical and strength and conditioning staff at Kingsholm who have helped him negotiate this difficult period of his career.
Besides the help of the Gloucester staff and his teammates, the popular outside half has been able to take inspiration from his family. Father Gavin is the former Scotland and Lions captain who understands the demands of top-class rugby while his mother Diane was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2003 at the age of just 39.
Diane had surgery in 2016 which saw her undergo a course of deep brain stimulation to regulate the electrical signals that cause tremors and stiffness and has since competed in the London Marathon. Sister Holly lives in Barcelona and is another source of positivity although her offer of a session with a Tarot card reader has yet to be taken up.
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Hastings, who has recovered from knee and shoulder injuries, added: “It has been hellish with the injuries and I am much better at dealing with these things and I remember the first injury felt like my world was ending. The more you have the easier it becomes and that is kind of sad in a way.
“It has been so tough and I am trying so hard. People don’t get a glimpse behind the scenes and I have had some dark times but I have a great support team around me. I couldn’t be in a better place to keep me level-headed.
“Through Covid I flicked a switch and trained really hard and found I had another gear and knew I was mentally strong. However, I couldn’t have prepared myself for the past two seasons and how difficult it has been. I think you get a newfound respect for yourself coming through those hard times.
💪 If there’s one certainty in life, it’s that Fiji hit HARD#AutumnNationsSeries | #SCOvFIJ @fijirugby pic.twitter.com/kTkb2vw4Xh
— Autumn Nations Series (@autumnnations) November 5, 2022
“What my Mum deals with every day and seeing her just get on with it then I cannot really complain or feel too sorry for myself. My Dad has been through the mill and knows what it’s like and they have been brilliant. My sister has been great and is only a phone call away.
“My sister said she had got me a Tarot card reading (because of the injuries) which I was terrified about!”
With the Premiership Cup already in the Gloucester trophy cabinet, Hastings, who will be in contention for Scotland’s summer tour of North and South America, has the opportunity to help deliver another piece of silverware with the club taking on Benetton in the European Challenge Cup semi-final at Kingsholm on May 4. Winning that competition would be a perfect way to say goodbye to the “amazing” fans who have made his stay at Gloucester so memorable.
It would also be a chance to share a special moment with Chris Harris, who together with wife Ruby, had Hastings as a lodger during much of his three years at the club and the two Scotland internationals have a very strong bond.
“Any silverware is a good season and we are in knockout rugby,” he said. “We weren’t in good form in the Premiership earlier in the season and the Cups gave us a new lease of life and to get to another final and win it would be magical and I just hope we can get the job done.”
Comments on RugbyPass
I bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments