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Williams hungry for more

Try time!: Shane Williams crosses over for his first try against Japan

Shane Williams has set his sights on becoming Wales' leading try-scorer after Japan were crushed 72-18 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Thursday.

Williams scored two of Wales' 11 tries - the 33rd and 34th of his Test career - to move second in the all-time charts, and now sits just five behind World Cup captain Gareth Thomas.

The winger did not enjoy his best outing in a Wales shirt and was targeted for some heavy treatment early on by the tough Japanese defence.

But he has now scored in all three of Wales' World Cup games and boasts a remarkable strike rate of 34 tries in 50 Tests.

To put that into context, Evans scored 33 in 79 internationals and Thomas has 39 from 99.

"I'd love to be the top scorer for Wales. It is an honour to be above players like Ieuan and I still have a couple of years left in me," said Williams.

"My strike rate is not too bad! But it is not something I would have dreamed of when I first started.

"I wouldn't have dreamed I would still be playing now, the way rugby is going but I am loving it. I am glad I have achieved something I can tell the grand-kids.

"I am always hungry for the ball and when the game is as open as that it suits me.

"I tried to get involved as early as I could. I had a couple of touches at the start and was welcomed very nicely by the Japanese! That was to be expected really. It was a tough game."

Wales were asked some difficult questions early on by a Japan side not short on determination, and trailed for a brief period after winger Kosuke Endo finished a 95-metre counter-attack for one of the tries of the tournament.

But Japan were eventually outclassed by a Wales side who rediscovered their joie de vivre after a stuttering start to the tournament.

The bonus point was secured by half-time with James Hook, Thomas Rhys Thomas and Kevin Morgan adding to Alun-Wyn Jones' opening try.

Wales ran in seven tries after the interval with two from Martyn Williams and scores each from Mike Phillips, Dafydd James and Gareth Cooper.

"It was a lot tougher than we anticipated. They are very aggressive in the tackle and the lads certainly know they have been in a game," said Shane Williams.

"I enjoy games like that when I think about it afterwards. But at the time it was difficult. It may look easy but you do a lot of running. I cramped up at the end.

"It was humid in the stadium. It was like playing in Japan.

"It was a real hard game, they tackled hard and we knew it would be a nice open game but it will certainly take the boys a few days to get over."

Unless Fiji pull off a surprise win over Australia on Sunday, Wales' final Pool B match against the islanders in Nantes will be a winner-takes-all shootout for a place in the quarter-finals.

Japan's two tries came from a turnover virtually on their own line and an interception - the kind of situations Fiji will relish in next Sunday's clash.

"The Japanese threw everything at us. Look at the tries they scored. They are certainly up there with try of the tournament so far," said Williams.

"Fiji will probably be a similar game. They are a side that enjoy open rugby and love the turnovers.

"Unfortunately we are susceptible to interceptions. We will obviously work on that - we can't afford that, especially against the bigger sides.

"There were a couple of turnovers and a couple of interceptions and that is really not acceptable."