KEY POINTS:
CARDIFF - Wales head into the rugby World Cup safe in the knowledge that only a huge upset will stop them reaching a quarter-final showdown against either England or South Africa.
Grouped with Australia, Canada, Fiji and Japan, the Welsh are backing themselves to make the last eight and a decisive game in Marseille.
The side, coached by former Llanelli flanker and boss Gareth Jenkins, have also ambitiously targeted a win there and going for broke in the semi-finals.
Since the inaugural 1987 edition, when Wales fullback Paul Thorburn landed a last-minute touchline conversion to claim third place from Australia, Wales have generally been very disappointing in the subsequent World Cups.
They failed to reach the quarter-finals in both 1991 and 1995, suffering two shock defeats to Western Samoa along the way.
Wales scraped into the quarters four years ago where they lost a thrilling game to England. But they had earlier managed to distinguish themselves by running New Zealand close in arguably the best match of the tournament in the pool stages.
This time around, the Welsh squad go into the World Cup on the back of an unimpressive autumn series, a Six Nations where the wooden spoon was avoided with defeat of England in the final game, and two losses to Australia in the summer.
But Jenkins, who took over the national coaching job after his predecessor Mike Ruddock resigned after sealing the 2005 Grand Slam, said the aim was a quarter-final victory.
"To a man the players are setting their sights on winning the World Cup quarter-final for the first time since 1987 and then going for broke in the semi-final," said Jenkins.
"I think we have a better chance of winning the World Cup this year than ever before."
Wales' first warm-up game for the World Cup ended in shame as a frontline England team posted a record 62-5 score past a second- or even third-string Welsh side that left many observers bemused by Jenkins' selection policy.
But team manager Alan Phillips insisted that history could repeat itself, citing Wales' then-record 43-9 defeat to an experimental England side just before the last World Cup.
"I think we need to look back to four years ago," said the former Wales hooker, who played in the inaugural 1987 World Cup. "There's a bit of deja vu here. The same thing happened in 2003.
"It didn't stop us going to the World Cup and really performing well.
"If you remember rightly we should have beaten England in the quarter-finals," he told the Western Mail newspaper.
"This defeat will kick us into shape. We will take a few knocks over it, but that will concentrate the mind to work a bit harder."
Phillips said the squad were "pretty optimistic".
"They are a positive group and they will want to put it right when they get the next opportunity to play."
COACH
Gareth Jenkins
Jenkins goes into the World Cup knowing that his job is on the line. The 55-year-old former Llanelli flanker and coaching stalwart accepted the national team coach position last year after the shock resignation of his predecessor Mike Ruddock. Since taking over, Jenkins has come under fire for a string of disappointing results, notably during the autumn internationals and the 2007 Six Nations. The wooden spoon in the latter was only avoided after James Hook, whom Jenkins had played out of position for the first four games, led Wales to victory over England in the final game from his favoured position of outside-half. He will have to drastically improve on his record of three wins and one draw from 14 games in charge to remain in his post.
KEY PLAYER
James Hook, first five-eighths/centre
The free-running Hook has been hailed as a new saviour for Welsh rugby and is widely regarded as one of the most talented young players in world rugby. All Blacks coaches have been moved to describe him as on a par with their own Dan Carter. With outside-half Stephen Jones injured, Hook will surely have his chance make the No. 10 shirt his own and shine on the world stage.
- AFP
