“What had to change?” asked ITV’s Gabriel Clarke in the type of thoughtful, slightly detached pre-match package that the channel – and, in particular, the journalist – are known for.
Rather than the fortunes of an English football club in the Champions League or quite what was going wrong with whoever was in charge of England, this time it was Welsh rugby being curated in cinematic form. For those who have lived and breathed the soap opera of Welsh rugby day after day for the last few years, it seems odd seeing it condensed into eight minutes.
Still, the genuine care felt by those who wear the jersey was palpable and speaks to the growing bond forming with those sat at home watching.
There are a myriad of problems with the Welsh game, yet the prevailing attitude from this pre-match package is that Wales don’t want to let anything outside the camp factor into what happens on the pitch.
The responsibility of turning around Welsh rugby’s fortunes, in their eyes, lies on the shoulders of Steve Tandy’s squad. “As we always have,” said wing Josh Adams. “As we always have had the responsibility to do.”
Whether that would be a bigger achievement than Grand Slams and World Cup semi-finals, Adams cannot say.
So back to Clarke’s question. What did have to change?
Bespectacled, Aaron Wainwright thinks for a moment or two before answering.
“Mentality.”
Over the course of 160 minutes, Wales’ national team have found something. Not a result – the wait for a first Six Nations victory in three years goes on.
It might not come next week, with Italy having won three out of their last four against Wales and fresh of the back of their first-ever win over England.
And, crucially, as Tandy knows too well, improvement isn’t linear. There are still bound to be set-backs on the path to being competitive again.
But, against Scotland and Ireland, Wales were in Test matches in a way they haven’t really been for some time.
In Tandy’s first six matches in charge, beyond the unconvincing win over Japan, Wales had moments here and there. But, rarely were they in the contest beyond half-time.
Sometimes, the game was over sooner than that.
Unsurprisingly, based on that low bar, supporters are beginning to feel cautiously optimistic about Wales again.
Three weeks ago, there were around 27,000 unsold tickets for the Italy match to end this tournament. After the performances against Scotland and Ireland, that’s down to just 7,000.
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The Welsh Rugby Union might say they always expected tickets to sell at that rate, but having had their lowest-ever crowd for a Six Nations match earlier in the tournament, it’s hard to believe that’s the case.
Instead, as has always been true in Welsh rugby, you give the supporters a grain of hope and they’ll cling to it.
The coaches deserve credit for their part. Making Wales a hard team to beat has always been the first item on the agenda.
Now, thanks to that mentality and the “actions” Wainwright speaks about, they seem to be achieving that. The No. 8 is a crucial part of this team – Wales’ best ball-carrier.
He is perhaps Wales’ most important player right now. Naturally, every time he makes metres through contact, it’s something for the fans to latch onto.
The same goes for the gaggle of players emerging from the mire, be it Rhys Carre running in an improbable try from 30-odd metres or Alex Mann tackling everything in sight on Friday night.
Eddie James learning on the job in the hardest position to defend, yet still poleaxing a British and Irish Lion in Garry Ringrose, or Dewi Lake continuing to lead the side with dignity despite tasting defeat more times than anyone would ever care to. The narrative is changing and supporters are developing a genuine affection for this group.
Earlier in the tournament, there was talk about the environment in camp. Was it too nice?
Or was it about creating the right setting for the players to find improvements? Judging by Adams’ answer, this side aren’t shirking the task of turning Welsh rugby around.
As for Wainwright, a telling comment about the head coach. “He’s so connected with us. That makes you want to play for him.”
Maybe we’ll know more definitively on whether it’s the environment that is facilitating this turnaround after next week. For now, the sample size is too small – just two games after two years of little positivity.
But, finally, the signs are promising.
By the end of this Six Nations, Wales may still have another wooden spoon. They may well be winless once again.
And, undoubtedly, there’ll still be a number of issues in Welsh rugby. None of those will be fixed quickly.
But, just maybe, fans will find more reasons to continue falling in love with the national team once more.