Justin Tipuric says that the enjoyment is back in the Wales camp and has explained the peculiar celebration the players were spotted doing after victory over Italy.
The tournament has been anything but plain sailing for Wales, with defeats to Ireland, Scotland and England being overshadowed by the threat of strike action over contract disputes. Despite the strike being averted, Warren Gatland spoke of a rift caused by the possibility of action, while uncertainty still reigns in Welsh rugby - with finances for next season muddled and players' futures still in doubt.
All in all, it makes for a grim picture. However, in camp, Tipuric has sought to brighten things up as one of the senior players.
Building up to the Italy clash in Rome, which Wales won to relieve some of the growing pressure, Tipuric spoke to his team-mates about trying to enjoy the honour of playing for your country more - something he's come to cherish even more over time. Clearly, the message got through.
"It (that speech) was just more about, I think that the older you get and when you are in these situations where it is hard to enjoy these moments, it's a realisation that you are representing your country and what a lucky position we are in.
"Even though we have had a lot stick for the performances over the last few weeks, we do have to enjoy ourselves.
"When you are on the rugby field and having a bit of fun, that is probably when you play some of your best rugby.
"It was just one of those things. Towards the end with the Ospreys (before the Six Nations), that was what we started doing and we just wanted to come in here and we just want the boys to have a bit of fun. That was the main thing."
Naturally, after the last month or so, confidence had taken a hit in camp. On the back of a miserable 2022 that saw Wales win just three matches and coach Wayne Pivac lose his job, life under Gatland again has yet to really ignite amid the off-field issues.
But the post-match scenes, with Tipuric leading Wales in a celebration that, while not the most coordinated, at least produced some smiles. In fairness to the Ospreys back-row, it wasn't his plan to choreograph that particular routine.
"No, Ken called me out on that," he admitted. "It was just anybody at the end gets to sign off, he called me out so I just came out with something stupid for the boys."
Tipuric is the first to admit that the recent run of defeats had been unusual, with it only natural that it would affect confidence. Losing, particular under Gatland, wasn't a familiar habit - hence why the 33-year-old felt the need to speak about revelling in the upsides of being a Test rugby player.
"It is one of those things, we are all up for the fight, especially last weekend. It shows nobody wants to finish bottom of the Six Nations table and that was one of those things we are not used to," he added. "Normally we are going there (Italy) and Gats has made wholesale changes into the team. But it was a different feeling going into that game.
"It is a bit weird but that's rugby for you. There are ups and downs and you have to learn from them all.
"Of course it would (knock your confidence) when you are on a bit of a bad run of losses you need to make sure you are still talking and trying to enjoy it."
"It was a bit of a focus point, it was not anything major, it was just probably one of those things that any player was thinking."
If the win over Italy brought "relief more than anything", then France at the end of a training week in Nice away from Welsh rugby's goldfish bowl brings the opportunity to bloody the nose of one of world rugby's form teams.
Being in the south of France certainly helps in terms of players enjoying themselves, although Tipuric is quick to point out it is "not like we are sitting on the beach having a few drinks and stuff". However, he adds, "I think Rhys Webb said to me today it was the first time he had trained in a pair of shorts in the last eight weeks. He has been in skins all the time so you know what type of weather we have been having back home."
Since the last time Gatland faced France in 2019 - the last time Wales beat them as well - the fortunes of the two sides have changed massively. While Wales have plummeted down the rankings, France have only risen.
Despite that, Wales have still managed to cause them problems. The Grand Slam decider in Paris two years ago was one Wales should have won before a late implosion, while they defied the critics last year to almost edge past Fabien Galthie's side in Cardiff.
"A lot of the boys have spoken about how we performed against them last year and we have to not make so many bad decisions like we did the year before as well when we had the Grand Slam game.
"A lot of players have played in games where we've had quite a few wins against them as well. They're a team high on confidence so it's one of them where everyone's writing us off already before we've even stepped on the pitch. In a way, sometimes that's when we come fighting and are at our best."
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