There was certainly a lot to process when Warren Gatland named a massive 54-man World Cup training squad.
From eligibility logistics to omissions, there was plenty to digest. The return of Cory Hill, the unavailability of Joe Hawkins but not Will Rowlands - no wonder Gatland's selection meeting ran on as long as it did.
But it was the sheer number of new faces in the squad that captured the attention. Some more than others.
Enough has already really been said about Henry Thomas to write a short novel on the seven-cap England prop, but the selection of the Montpellier tight-head - along with four other uncapped props - is enough indication that it's an area that Gatland is looking for improvement in.
Starting with Thomas, the former Bath and Sale tight-head is fairly aware of his strengths and how they have suited the game out in France.
“In my career, generally I’ve always had to try and keep weight on," he told Rugby World last year. "So I probably put on a couple of kilos when I arrived, over two or three months. And that does change your game as well. It’s being a bit heavier and taking those bigger impacts.
“The game-plan that suited us as a team, we kicked the ball a lot, we’d chase and we’d defend well. And so it’s probably an even bigger emphasis on set-piece.
“It’s that and carrying on the front foot. There was definitely a big part of the season where I didn’t do as much carrying as I’d like, which is something we’ll probably try to push on next year with our attacking game at Montpellier.”
Be big, scrummage well and carry strong where you can. That's what Gatland will be looking for from Thomas. The same applies largely to the other new call-ups too.
Speaking about the improvements Wales need in the tight-five, "athleticism and mobility" were the buzzwords Gatland went to. There's the sense that the uncapped players the Wales coach has turned to could offer that, as well as - in some cases - being the form players when it comes to the scrum in Wales.
Loose-head Kemsley Mathias has been a constant in the Scarlets side since December, coinciding with their run of good form. He's gone toe-to-toe with South African front-rows in the United Rugby Championship and has recently been rewarded with a new contract after a breakthrough season.
For all the talk of Wyn Jones' absence and how surprising that is, Scarlets regulars would perhaps see Mathias as being the form choice of the pair.
Then there's Corey Domachowski and Kieron Assiratti at Cardiff. Gatland spoke glowingly about the pair, citing their age-profile and how they took apart the Sale scrum in the Challenge Cup round of 16 match.
The pair caused the Premiership club's pack no end of problems, with the Cardiff scrum arguably less dominant once current internationals Rhys Carre and Dillon Lewis came on. Of the front-row calls, these seemed the easiest to predict and Gatland's effusiveness probably reflected that.
Alongside Thomas, Cardiff's tight-head Will Davies-King was another surprise. The 24-year-old only made his first league start on New Year's Day this year.
Only four more appearances for the Blue and Blacks have followed since then, and he's only played more than 40 minutes in a match for Cardiff on two occasions this season, but clearly he's a young prop with the sort of physical qualities that Wales believe can be beneficial in the future. Getting him up to speed with what international camps are like won't hurt even if he's arguably a longshot to make it to Switzerland, let alone the World Cup.
In the backs, Max Llewellyn was perhaps the easiest uncapped player to predict in this squad. The hard-running Cardiff centre seems cut from the sort of cloth Gatland will like.
Ironically, had he not been injured over the course of the season, the soon-to-be Gloucester centre could have been in the same boat as Joe Hawkins. Instead, having not been in a Wales squad before his contract in England was inked, he's free to be picked.
Nicknamed 'Skinny Bill Williams', there's a lot to like about Llewellyn's game - from his eye for a sharp angle to a deft passing and offloading game. There's an intelligence there and, having mentioned Hawkins, there's also some more uncertainty in midfield which might help when it comes to making his case for a spot in the final squad..
The same goes for Joe Roberts. The Scarlets centre has long been tipped as a regular in the west Walians' midfield, but with Scott Williams and Jonathan Davies absent for the latter part of the season, Roberts has become a calming constant at a young age.
Just 22, Roberts has been excellent for the Scarlets this season. This Wales call might have come sooner than he expected, but he's continually put in good performances under Dwayne Peel recently.
Wales' 13 cupboard isn't massively stocked beyond George North and Mason Grady at the minute, so there's every chance Roberts can stake a claim.
The real surprise in the backs division was Cai Evans. The Ospreys full-back wouldn't have been on many people's radar heading into this squad. Appearances have been scant this season, although he did play a starring role in the home victory over French champions Montpellier.
"Having watched him earlier in the season before he picked up his injury we were impressed with him," said Gatland. "We know he has played a lot of age grade at 10, he has got a big boot on him, he’s a good goal-kicker, he’s pretty quick, probably not as quick as his dad used to be but he is sharp enough.
"He may end up as a 10 in the future but I think 15 has been a good position for him, it is a position we need to look at in terms of getting some depth going forward.
"He played well. Getting on that front foot makes such a difference, especially for 10s. We’ve been impressed by Cai. He has a big boot on him, he’s pretty brave and his goal-kicking is good as well."
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