After a tough Six Nations campaign that saw Wales lose to Italy at home for the very first time, things don't get any easier for Wayne Pivac's men with a trip to South Africa in store this summer.
A three-Test clash with the world champions would be hard enough at the best of times, but with confidence in the national team as low as it has been in several years, it could be a challenging summer. Here's what Pivac's squad might just look like...
Back-three: Liam Williams, Johnny McNicholl, Louis Rees-Zammit, Alex Cuthbert, Josh Adams
Obviously the hope is that Josh Adams is fit and available to tour. Were he not, you'd imagine Owen Lane would be the next cab off the rank after his surprise Six Nations omission.
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Louis Rees-Zammit and Alex Cuthbert are both safe in terms of wing spots in the squad, while Liam Williams is virtually unchallenged at full-back. Johnny McNicholl should be safe after showing some promising signs, unless some of the fall-out from the Italy game is laid at his door.
The implication, after all, was that Italy might have been the last chance saloon for some. Were that to be the case for McNicholl, Wales would have to go searching for some full-back depth.
Ioan Lloyd hasn't nailed down a position yet at Bristol, while Mat Protheroe and Tom Rogers don't get as much time in the jersey as they might like at their own clubs. The likelihood is that McNicholl tours.
Centres: Johnny Williams, Nick Tompkins, Owen Watkin, Jonathan Davies, George North
Willis Halaholo seemingly can't catch a break at the minute. When he finally got a start against Italy in the Six Nations, he was hooked early as Wales collapsed to a stunning defeat.
Now he's been ruled out of the rest of the season, meaning the summer tour looks a no-go. Nick Tompkins is nailed on, while Owen Watkin enjoyed a solid Six Nations.
Johnny Williams has looked solid when fit for the Scarlets and seems more likely of a recall than Scott Williams, who just doesn't seem to be in the plans of the Wales coaches right now. Jonathan Davies showed some nice glimpses in the Six Nations and is likely to still be around.
The biggest boost would be having George North back, providing he gets some rugby under his belt for the Ospreys before the end of the season. Having the two-time Lions tourist in the 13 jersey would certainly calm a lot of Pivac's midfield woes.
Fly-halves: Dan Biggar, Callum Sheedy, Gareth Anscombe
Dan Biggar is the undisputed first-choice, while it still feels like Callum Sheedy is his deputy despite others stepping into the bench role in the past couple of campaigns.
Who's the third-choice though? Gareth Anscombe and Rhys Priestland have shared that role in recent squads, while the likes of Jarrod Evans, Rhys Patchell and even young Sam Costelow have all made reasonable cases away from the Test scene.
It's probably a toss-up between Anscombe and Priestland. It could be the Ospreys playmaker edges it.
Scrum-halves: Tomos Williams, Kieran Hardy, Gareth Davies
Tomos Williams is nailed on now as Wales' first-choice, while Kieran Hardy seems a solid deputy. Gareth Davies feels a touch behind the pair, although he was handed the start for the defeat to Italy.
The question is though who is threatening to break up this current triumvirate? Not really anyone at the moment.
Hookers: Ken Owens, Ryan Elias, Dewi Lake
The search for depth behind Ken Owens has finally come to fruition. Ryan Elias has grown into the starting role after some rocky moments, while Dewi Lake has emerged as a real talent at Test level.
If Owens is fit and available for the summer after missing the Six Nations with a back injury, these should be the three hookers to tour.
Props: Wyn Jones, Gareth Thomas, Rhys Carre, Tomas Francis, Leon Brown, Dillon Lewis
In terms of prop selection, it's very easy to see Wales opting for the same props that were selected for the Six Nations. Wyn Jones and Gareth Thomas tussled for the loose-head jersey in the Six Nations, while Tomas Francis looks fairly comfortable in his tight-head spot.
Behind those, the likes of Rhys Carre, Leon Brown and Dillon Lewis offer depth and it's hard to definitively say who challenges them right at this moment.
Second-row: Adam Beard, Alun Wyn Jones, Will Rowlands, Dafydd Jenkins, Christ Tshiunza
Adam Beard and Will Rowlands were mightily impressive during a disappointing Six Nations campaign, working well together in the boiler room. Both are nailed on to tour, while Alun Wyn Jones' soundbites around the Italy match made it sound like he's not putting his feet up this summer.
There's whispers that Exeter's Dafydd Jenkins - who made his Premiership debut this year - is being watched closely by Wales and could tour this summer as somewhat of a wildcard pick. Were that the case, the role of a hybrid second-row/back-row - which Wales have been vocal about wanting - could come down to either Seb Davies or Christ Tshiunza.
It would be harsh on Davies to miss out, having done all that is asked of him, but Tshiunza is someone Wales could do with seeing more of - given he missed the Six Nations through injury.
Back-row: Josh Navidi, Jac Morgan, Taulupe Faletau, Taine Basham, James Botham, Ross Moriarty
It seems likely that the talismanic Justin Tipuric won't make the cut as he continues to recover from injury, while Ross Moriarty might be touch and go after suffering a knee injury out in South Africa with the Dragons.
If he doesn't make it, then regional team-mate Aaron Wainwright would be in contention to step in, along with the likes of Shane Lewis-Hughes and Dan Lydiate. But let's assume he does make it.
Josh Navidi and Taulupe Faletau are nailed on, while it seems like Taine Basham and Jac Morgan might now sit ahead of Ellis Jenkins in the pecking order. The Cardiff back-row paid the price of that Dublin horror show more than most, it would seem.
James Botham wasn't involved in the Six Nations, but his ability to play across the back-row and his breakdown expertise on both sides of the ball mean he's the sort of player that Wales can't really afford to live without at the moment.
