WALES are for once confident of getting a New Year off to a winning start. Instead of beginning their 1997 programme with a Five Nations fixture, they are entertaining the United States, the country even Ireland can beat.

Wales are not even making polite noises about the United States and find themselves in the unusual position of talking about how many points they expect to win by. For a country which has lost 16 out of its last 17 matches against major international board rivals, including Ireland, they are being slightly precipitous if not presumptuous.

The Americans have a 50 per cent record in their two warm up matches and their training schedule in Wales has been badly disrupted by the freeze. They will offer rugged, obdurate opposition, but unless Wales run blindly in straight lines, as they did against Canada in Cardiff three years ago, there is little chance of an upset.

Centre Scott Gibbs leads Wales for the first time, as the usual captain, Jonathan Humphreys, serves a seven day ban after being dismissed playing for Cardiff in last weekend's Heineken Cup semifinal in Brive.

Gibbs said there was no way he wanted the job permanently. "I like to keep out of the public eye, and with the captaincy comes a higher profile. I will just give a quick team talk beforehand, carry the ball on to the pitch, toss a coin, mumble a few words at the dinner and go back in to the background.

"Since I joined St Helens nearly three years ago, the gap between hemispheres in union has grown. We are struggling to keep up and we are cheesed off about it. We want to start winning again. If we cannot win with the squad we have got together now, we are not fit to wear the red jersey."

The Welsh jerseys will not be red today. Even though the US are wearing striped shirts similar to Pontypool's, Wales are taking the opportunity to show off their new change strip a white jersey with two blue and red bands.

But will the faces be red?

"What I am looking for is a performance which shows that we are playing the game the right way; again, said the Wales coach, Kevin Bowring. "We chose the side as if we were playing next week's fixture in Scotland and we are confident of doing well in the championship."

Wales will not be urged on by a large crowd. The Welsh public has already been asked to fork out for four internationals this season and a gate of around 15,000 is expected.