WALES coach Gareth Jenkins is going into tonight's World Cup clash against Japan at the Millennium Stadium with a cloud hanging over him just as much as it is over the team.

Wales obviously have to get back on track quickly after their setback against Australia and win well by at least 30 or 40 points to make a statement for the winner-takes-all group finale against Fiji in Nantes a week Saturday.

But almost overshadowing the game tonight is Jenkins' much publicised row with the media, or certain sections of it, notably the Welsh Press.

He may think there is an agenda against him, that he is in the right and that he's going on well beyond the World Cup with a specific idea in mind of how to get Welsh rugby somewhere near the top again. But he is disillusioning himself.

Jenkins speaks of individual Pressmen having an agenda against him, but that simply isn't the case.

It is also surprising that he omits Mike Ruddock from his list of most successful Wales coaches of recent years, naming only Graham Henry, Steve Hansen and Scott Johnson.

Sure, the three Southern Hemisphere guys had their moments, particularly Henry in a record equalling 10-match winning run, and what would we give for a disciplinarian like Hansen now?

It is understood that some influential figures in the Welsh game are so unhappy with Jenkins' performance on and off the field that his position is close to becoming untenable.

He may think he's going on beyond the World Cup, but I would say his future is very much in the balance. Nothing less than convincing victories over Japan and Fiji and then pushing South Africa hard at the very least in the quarter-finals will, I believe, save Jenkins now.

Defeat in the Fiji game (Wales will surely overcome Japan with something to spare) would mean Jenkins going immediately, a face-saving performance against the Springboks could save him until his contract is up after the Six Nations next year.

Only a shock victory over South Africa and a place in the World Cup semi-finals would extend Jenkins' contract.

Sadly, he has chosen to become embroiled in a very public row with the Press on an unprecedented level.

He should know better for it's a battle' he ought to know he can't win. All he has done is divert attention from the team and land himself deeper and deeper in the mire.

Nevertheless, the players now have to take a hand and make a big statement to encourage the fans that there is a future in this World Cup. The fans will get behind a winning Welsh team - but will they get behind Jenkins?