Famous American author and political activist Helen Keller once said "optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence".
She didn't have Welsh rugby in mind when she uttered that phrase but new Wales U20s head coach Mark Jones may as well have taken a leaf out of her book. There is a lot of doom and gloom surrounding Welsh rugby at the moment, especially at age-grade level, with Wales U20s suffering the ignominy of a Six Nations whitewash just a few short months ago.
They head off to the Junior World Championships in South Africa in a couple of weeks, and considering they have powerhouses France and New Zealand in their pool, along with a dangerous Japan side, there aren't many who are giving Wales a cat's chance in hell of making an impact in the Rainbow Nation.
