THE glass half full tone of last week’s column has proved well founded after Wales’ encouraging performance against England at Twickenham on Saturday.

It would have been so easy to be completely negative and forecast a double defeat against England, with maybe a victory over Argentina, in the three World Cup warm-up fixtures, followed by setbacks against South Africa and Samoa in the opening two fixtures of the tournament. Game over there and then.

That doomsday scenario is still a possibility, but the squad and management at least deserved a chance to prove that a winless autumn series followed by a fourth place finish in the Six Nations, ending with a disappointing performance against France, could be put behind them. There was also a pretty active summer period to consider and what effect two training camps in Poland complete with the notorious ice chamber may have had on them - and the opposition to come.

Well, we found out on Saturday. Wales went in with players of the calibre of Lee Byrne, Leigh Halfpenny, James Hook and a whole front row of Gethin Jenkins, Matthew Rees and Adam Jones missing, they lost Stephen Jones shortly before the kick-off with a slight calf strain and then Morgan Stoddart tragically broke a leg early in the second half to shatter his World Cup dreams.

England were below strength, too, lacking Ben Foden, Chris Ashton, Ben Youngs and Nick Easter, but Wales probably exceeded expectations and as a result have sent hopes, if not exactly sky high, at least rising a fair bit.

They still lost the game against England, but the margin of just four points in their 23-19 defeat was the best they have managed at Twickenham since 1988, apart from their sole victory there four years ago.

It took a while for them to get into the match, partly due to the reshuffle caused by Jones’ late withdrawal and when they went 20-7 down soon after half-time it looked ominous for them.

But they refused to lie down in the way predecessors might have and instead of England turning the screw it was Wales who prospered, scoring two more tries to take their tally to three, one more than England managed. That was a minor victory in itself and had it not been for Jonny Wilkinson’s two dropped goals - Wales defence coach Shaun Edwards suggested not so tongue in cheek after the game that it should be worth one point not three - the Welsh team might even have edged it.

There were plus points everywhere for Wales - the way so many youngsters played and the manner in which the three tries scored were all by wings was further encouragement.

Whereas it might have been expected that one or two would have played themselves out of the World Cup reckoning, no one did. In fact, quite a few didn’t just put their hands up but almost certainly booked their seats on the flight to New Zealand.

Scarlets trio Rhys Priestland, Scott Williams and Tavis Knoyle certainly come into that category, Priestland’s game management excellent, Williams the surprise package and Knoyle improving the service to the backline with a more rapid pass than Mike Phillips possessed.

And a player nearing the veteran stage also produced the goods, former captain Ryan Jones proving there is plenty of fire in the belly and petrol left in the tank yet.

But now comes the acid test. Because the promise of Twickenham needs to be turned into victory when the two teams clash again this Saturday at the Millennium Stadium.

What no one wants in this part of the world is for hopes to rise with a pretty promising performance at Twickers only for them to be dashed seven days later, especially at home.

So the pressure is on. Wales will be expected to deliver this time and a victory is pretty much demanded now. But that’s professional sport for you. If you can’t stand the heat...

Coach Warren Gatland admits he has got selection issues, but that’s what every coach wants. Better that than the other way around.

Top of the pile, though he won’t admit it, is what to do with Gavin Henson. Does he plunge him in now, give him a start to prove once and for all whether he can close the gap between relative inactivity and international rugby?

There is only one way to find out and while I may not be Henson’s biggest fan Gatland really ought to start him, if not against England then certainly against Argentina next week in the last match before departure.

But the biggest problem which the coach recognises is: does he make wholesale changes to give everyone an opportunity or does he make just the odd change in the interest of momentum and continuity?

For what it’s worth I would go down the first road. The entire squad deserve an opportunity to show what they can do - those who didn’t make the final cut for Twickenham will have been lifted by the performance - and then go for the best possible side against the Pumas a week on Saturday.

That way there can be no complaints from within about being denied the opportunity. England supremo Martin Johnson will probably tread the same path so that the best possible line-up can fly out to New Zealand at the end of the month.

It’s quite a dilemma for Gatland, though, and training this week will be the key. All will be revealed on Thursday, but the hope is the spring in the step becomes more like a dash and everyone can set off soon enough with a whiff of optimism rather than that sinking feeling.