Wales are a team transformed on the day the pain finally ended

It had been 1,491 days since Wales could savour the sweet taste of victory in a Six Nations match at the Principality Stadium.

There have been some dark days since beating Scotland in February 2022 but Wales have finally put an end to a run of 15 successive defeats in the Six Nations.

Wales were good value for this win as they upset the form book to get the better of Italy who could not come anywhere near the level of performance they reached during their historic victory over England seven days ago.

This was Wales’ day.

After 30 minutes when Dewi Lake had powered over the line for Wales’ third try, the stadium erupted into a chorus of Hymns and Arias.

It has been a long time since there was such a carnival atmosphere at the Principality Stadium but this victory meant so much to the home faithful as it did to the players.

When Rhys Carre won a penalty at the breakdown in the 38th minute the reaction of his teammates, who all ran over to congratulate the Saracens prop, spoke of a side who were united in adversity and had come out the other end stronger.

From the word go there was a purpose to Wales’ game as the hosts brought huge intensity to the game.

Unlike the opening two defeats against England and France, where Wales were comprehensively beaten, this time they were the aggressors.

Wales’ physicality has risen tenfold over the past two Test matches and they are now a side who can compete physically at this level.

To succeed in Test rugby you need to be at least as physical as the opposition, you need a solid set-piece and your defence has to be able to soak up a large amount of pressure without breaking.

Those are the foundations of a good side and these are areas Steve Tandy has fixed towards the latter part of the Championship.

It is important not to get carried away because a one-sided victory over Italy doesn’t mean Wales are world beaters, but at long last they are on an upward trajectory.

The performances over the past three Test matches has to be the baseline for Wales moving forward and if they can replicate this 80 minutes moving forward they will at the very least be competitive.

Tandy’s side still have a very long way to go before they can even entertain getting back to previous glories but such one-sided defeats as was witnessed in the autumn and the first two rounds of the Six Nations should hopefully have been consigned to the history books for the foreseeable future.

A number of players have stood up to be counted over the past few weeks to give Wales real hope moving forward.

Aaron Wainwright has been totemic and is as good a No 8 as you’ll find in the Northern Hemisphere, while Alex Mann has repaid the faith shown in him by the coaches.

Dragons second-row Ben Carter has also comprehensively answered the question as to whether he has the physicality for Test rugby.

The 25-year-old has been outstanding, standing his ground physically while getting through a mountain of work in defence.

But Carter has also been given the responsibility of calling the lineout and it is no surprise to see this facet of the game improve significantly since the Dragons man got given the responsibility.

He has now overtaken Adam Beard as Wales’ first choice lock alongside Dafydd Jenkins.

No player has been better than Rhys Carre.

Three years ago Carre got kicked out of Warren Gatland’s World Cup training camp for not meeting fitness targets and was in danger of not realising his potential.

But Tandy and his coaching staff have succeeded in getting the best out of the Saracens prop who is now a huge asset to this Wales side.

His sensational solo try in Dublin went viral but Carre has always been an x-factor player. The difference is he is now far more consistent while his work at the scrum has also improved immeasurably.

But the player who more than any other has typified Wales’ resurgence is Dewi Lake.

The Wales hooker cut a dejected figure in the aftermath of the opening round hiding at Twickenham but he has been outstanding ever since.

Wales now have more players who are international class than most people thought at the start of the Championship.

However, this performance was not perfect as Wales endured a rocky ending to this Test match, but the only thing that matters is the victory.

Off the field, clarity is urgently required. The Welsh Rugby Union must resolve the long-running uncertainty surrounding the professional game and establish a coherent structure for the future.

Even with recent improvement, few would dispute the need for significant reform — both within the regions and across the player pathway.

For now, though, Tandy has demonstrated that this group of players are far better than many assumed. And for the first time in a long while, Welsh rugby has something it has sorely lacked.

Hope.