Russia have a real chance of beating the United States in the first game of their debut Rugby World Cup on September 15, insists assistant coach and team director Kingsley Jones.

Russia qualified earlier this year with a 21-21 draw against rival second-tier nation Romania. Russia is unlikely to get out of its pool, where it also faces such giants as Australia, Ireland and Italy. The game is still a rarity in Russia where ice hockey remains the favored contact sport.

Jones is confident however, that Russia can threaten the USA, which they played against (and lost to by 32-25) in the Churchill Cup earlier this year.

"There's a chance for sure," says the Welshman, who joined Russia in April. "They're the team ranked closest to us. USA have played some tough games lately against Canada and prepared well, but we will do everything we can to be competitive. If we're going to get a win, that's our best opportunity. But that doesn't mean we are targeting them and not worried about the rest."

The Russian team has improved "massively" in the period since he took over, Jones says. "Rome wasn't built in a day, and the only way you get better is by playing competitive matches. Every game I've seen, I've noticed an improvement."

Jones cites the recent game against Gloucester - one of four games played in Britain in August against Welsh sides Newport Gwent Dragons (lost 40-12) and Ospreys (lost 46-19) and English sides Northampton (lost 54-19) and Gloucester (lost 47-7) as preparation for the World Cup - as an example of his team's improvement.

"We had a little step backward in the first half - perhaps their minds were halfway on the plane to New Zealand, a little bit of self-preservation going on" he says. "But I told them that at half time, and the second half was the best I've seen them play since I've been with them. I just wish I could have more and more games, I'd really love to have a domestic season of sixteen games with this group, because I know the potential for improvement is fantastic," he says.

The Russian team's performance in the recent games in Britain was not fully reflected in the scorelines, and was largely down to "silly errors," Jones says.

"Take the Ospreys game - if you took out those errors and watched the game on video, you would wonder who won," he says.

"What they've had to learn is that if you make mistakes like that at this level, world rugby, you get punished by seven points. This is what they have to learn, and this tour has taught them that. I understand, [local club] VVA Podmoskovie's example - they can run from their own try line, chip over, find missed passes, and if I was coaching them I'd be doing it the same way - high risk, high reward."

Jones says the scrum remains the team's Achilles heel. "I make no secret of it. Without Prishchepenko we've not got the platform that we need to put against the teams we've just played against. Eighteen of the tries we conceded on this tour were the result of turnover scrums and dropped balls."

Jones maintains that the experience gained in August has given the Russians vital self-belief.

"I think the players took confidence from this trip. To be 8-7 down after 32 minutes is a huge achievement against the Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium, against the likes of Ian Gough, Mefyn Davies, Dan Biggar, Duncan Jones, Sonny Parker, Andy Bishop - all these guys have played for Wales lately, some have eighty caps. Our props have played against better props than they will play against in the world cup.

"That's the preparation they need. So I'm sure when people in Russia were disappointed at the results we got, I can tell you that the improvement is there. And the teams we played on the tour, many people wouldn't want to say it, but they are better than the teams we play in the Churchill Cup. Our players get together for a week or so in preparation for that competition, against teams of guys who've played together for years. So I know the level, and I know the best preparation for this team is to play at that intensity.

"These players of ours can take confidence from that. Antonov has gone up against Ian Gough and stolen line-out ball against him. Ivan Prishchepenko has played against Mefyn Davies and Duncan Jones, and coped. Viktor Gresev has run over the top of Phil Dowson and Rodger Wilson in the same move and gained fifty meters. You can take a lot of confidence from that."

Jones maintains Russia can be a top fifteen ranked side when the next World Cup comes round in 2015. "They've got to be competing with the likes of Argentina, USA, Canada, and beating those sides. And maybe a surprise victory over someone like Italy or Scotland might be possible."

Regarding his own future, Jones says he will stay with Russia in the near term. "I've just been on the phone this morning, discussing the ENC [European Nations Cup] tournament and our preparations, and I'm really looking forward to that. That's where we'll measure the improvement in the team compared to last year," he says."