Wales are being written off in France and that is exactly how they like it

Popular opinion would suggest that Wales are not on the verge of doing something special at this World Cup, and that's exactly how they like it.

Vast experience in the form of Alun Wyn Jones and Justin Tipuric have walked away. Injury has prevented Ken Owens - the emotional heartbeat of this team - from making the trip, and fans will find little solace in the formbook.

A fifth place finish in the Six Nations was deeply underwhelming as Welsh rugby burned all around the fringes of the action on the field. An early win against England in the summer warm-ups offered hope but it was quashed when they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory a week later against the same opposition.

An experimental side then got predictably thumped by South Africa to leave a sour taste as preparations for the global gathering came to a close.

But as Wales boarded the train from Paris to Bordeaux for a sun-kissed two-hour train journey south, their mood belied the turbulent nature of the months that have preceded this tournament.

Last month, Gatland was adamant his team was going to surprise the doubters in France, and he remained bullish at the team base in Versailles this week.

It’s fair to ponder where this confidence might come from but history gives us a clue.

Throughout his years in charge of Wales, Gatland has often turned to the same phrase - ‘the longer we spend together, the better we become’. The players believe it too and the record suggests they are right.

Typically, Wales start campaigns slowly and build to their better performances at the end. They haven’t had what would be considered a disastrous World Cup since before Gatland arrived in 2008.

The camp would tell you it’s because of the unusually large amount of time the coaches have with players in the build up to these tournaments.

Wales have been in camp for around 15 weeks to this point. That kind of access to players only happens once every four years and it seems Gatland has a history of using it wisely.

And it’s clear Wales are finding confidence in their preparation.

Time and time again Wales have backed their fitness in the build up to this tournament.

“We’ve trained hard for this,” insisted prop Corey Domachowski. “We’ve had 15 weeks of hell, to be honest with you.

“It’s been absolutely savage. We’re not going to worry about any opposition. We know we’ve got a lot of quality in the squad.

“There’s a lot of competition in this squad and everyone who goes on that field will do everything they can for the jersey.

“We are going to be a tough team to beat.”

When asked if he believed they were the fittest side in the tournament, Gatland said: "It’s not whether I believe it, but whether the boys believe it.

"Everyone is talking about the heat being an advantage to Fiji but we’ve had some pretty grueling sessions in heat so we’re conditioned to that. We’re comfortable with the pace of the game and the intensity of the game.

"Probably from the warm-up games, where the ball-in-play time against England in the first game was 39 minutes, we looked good. In the second game against England, it was 30 minutes and it probably didn’t allow us to use some of the hard work we’ve put in. It’s definitely been a focus for us."

Fitness and conditioning has been the bedrock of Wales’ previous attempts to conquer the world but it has only carried them so far.

The question is have they been able to refine their game plan enough and add the finer touches to their play to see them swat aside the challenges that lie ahead and go deep into the tournament. That question remains unanswered until they take the field against Fiji on Sunday.

So much rests on what will transpire at the Stade de Bordeaux this weekend. Before this tournament, injured captain Owens told ITV Wales: “Confidence and momentum are not to be mocked or disrespected because they can take you to all sorts of places.”

So a win against Fiji could really launch Wales’ World Cup campaign. Lose, and every game becomes a knockout match.

Wales’ belief heading into this tournament is borne out of the work that has been done behind closed doors.

Wales will have to defy the odds to go deep into this tournament.

In the past, this is when they've been at their most dangerous.