WALES are on a hiding to nothing when they face Japan tom-orrow night, admits Newport Gwent Dra-gons threequarter Hal Luscombe - but he backs coach Mike Ruddock's plan of attack.

Scotland put a hundred points on Japan earlier this month, and the Scots are rated the weakest of the home nations, so expectations will be similar with Wales, especially after their valiant performance against New Zealand.

"It's a tough game for us to play because if we don't beat Japan by a big score the public will think we've failed," said Luscombe. "But we can only concentrate on our own game and just play.

"If we go out like we did against South Africa and New Zealand and perform the same way like we want to I'm sure the points will come.

"Going into the Romania game we said all week we would concentrate on the style Mike wants us to play and not play sevens rugby then the points would come.

"We've got to go for it, just go out there and play and not be scared of making mistakes which is very much the attitude of Joe Rokocoko, who has got great natural ability and a lot of pace and skill.

"Since Mike has come in he has backed the players to go out and have a go. Maybe in the past one or two players have not expressed themselves and come off feeling they've let themselves down.

"But I've spoken to friends and family who say we are playing a lot better. We want wins now against the bigger sides, we're only one or two points away from it and the one per cent we put in off the field in everything we do we can turn around for those one or two points."

Luscombe believes that extra something can be found in time for the Six Nations Championship in the new year and turned into having a crack at the title - provided they don't show the opposition too much respect, starting with England first up at the Millennium Stadium on February 5.

"Possibly we need to go out there and have less respect, sometimes we have given the opposition too much of that," he admitted.

"I have never played against England, but I know all about the big rivalry and if Wales manage to beat England and lose every other game then it's been a successful season."

Luscombe is delighted Ruddock has shown faith in him by recalling him after knee trouble put him out of the All Blacks fixture.

"It was disappointing to miss New Zealand because you want to play against the best in the world to test yourself, but it was the best decision," he said.

"But Mike knows how I played with the Dragons last season and have been able to perform since."

Luscombe wins his seventh cap tomorrow and another decent performance will put him right in line for that England clash in two months time.