While it may not yet be the end of an era, it feels very much like the dawning of a new one with the make-up of Wayne Pivac’s Six Nations squad.
There is a real sense of the changing of the guard as we head into the Championship without so many players who have been absolute mainstays of the Welsh set-up over the past decade and more.
Remarkably, it’s the first time since 2006 that Wales have named a Six Nations squad which doesn’t feature Alun Wyn Jones.
He’s been more than part of the furniture, he’s been the foundation stone of the whole house.
READ MORE: McGeechan names Six Nations title winners
But now he’s missing, with the shoulder injury he sustained against New Zealand in October ruling him out of the whole campaign.
And he’s far from the only habitual figure to be absent from the 36-man squad chosen by Pivac. You can see the full squad here.
Ken Owens, Taulupe Faletau, Justin Tipuric, Leigh Halfpenny and George North also also unavailable through injury.
These are men who have been near permanent fixtures and fittings in the Welsh camp over the past ten years.
But Pivac must go into the campaign without them and the same goes for other experienced crocked figures in Josh Navidi, Dan Lydiate and Elliot Dee.
In all, Wales are without 680 caps of experience due to injuries, which is some tally.
Yet that’s the attritional nature of the modern game.
It’s too early to say whether it’s the end of the international road for any of the veteran absentees and you would never write them off.
But it does feel like something of a watershed moment and what it means is that right here, right now, opportunity knocks for a new batch of players.
Among those are three uncapped youngster in Ospreys duo Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake, plus Cardiff No 8 James Ratti.
There has been a real public clamour for the inclusion of openside Morgan based on his irresistible form over the past year or so, particularly at the all-important breakdown.
The argument for his selection was even stronger with fellow flankers Tipuric and Navidi unavailable for the duration - and James Botham also sidelined at the moment - yet you did wonder whether Pivac would send out the call.
He has overlooked Morgan up to now with the likes of Botham, Thomas Young and Josh Macleod selected ahead of him.
Openside is just such a competitive position, with Leicester’s Tommy Reffell having also made a compelling case.
But, in the end, Pivac has gone with the people’s choice in Morgan. It’s fair to say the 21-year-old couldn’t have done much more.
As for his Ospreys team-mate Lake, he gets his chance with Ken Owens and long-term hooking deputy Elliott Dee among the crocked contingent.
It’s no huge surprise as the former Wales U20s captain has been consistently mentioned in dispatches by Pivac over the last year or so as a player of real potential, and has spent time in camp.
So now that he’s back from a long-term injury, in he comes.
There’s no questioning what the 22-year-old offers around the field, in terms of his powerful carrying and his work over the ball.
The issue has surrounded his lineout throwing, but Pivac says that "improved out of sight" when he was last in camp and expects the same to happen again.
If Lake can resolve that Achilles heel, then he has a big future ahead of him.
As Pivac says, at 112 kgs, he brings a real physical presence and can be a very destructive player.
Now if you are looking for a bolter selection in the squad, it comes in the form of James Ratti.
Few had been predicting his inclusion and he’s a name that will be unfamiliar to some.
But it’s a selection that makes sense the more you think about it.
One position Wales really do need to build depth is No 8. For years, you didn’t have to worry because Taulupe Faletau was just always there, so reliable, so consistent.
But in recent seasons, injuries have taken their toll on the great man, limiting his appearances and he is sidelined once again due to the ankle problem which has kept him out since last summer’s Lions tour of South Africa.
Pivac has looked to increase his options at the base of the scrum by switching Aaron Wainwright from blindside and now he is making use of another conversion.
It was Cardiff coach Dai Young who moved Ratti from lock to No 8 on arriving at the Arms Park last year and it’s proved an inspired decision.
As Pivac says, the 24-year-old has the raw ingredients for the job in terms of his physical attributes, at 6ft 4ins and 18st 6lbs.
He loves nothing more than getting the ball in his hands and taking on opposition defences, while he also offers agility, athleticism and a big work-rate.
Ratti may well have nailed his place in the squad with his performance against Harlequins last Friday night when he made more carries and tackles than any other player on the pitch, as well as muscling his way over for a try.
So he gets his chance and it’s a great story really.
Having had limited opportunities as a second row at the Ospreys he opted to step down a level and start again by joining the Cardiff Premiership side, with a view to trying to force his way into the regional set-up.
It’s a gamble that has paid off and how.
Looking at the rest of the squad, there are further examples of the changing of the guard and a new breed entering the picture.
On top of the uncapped trio, you have got five players who could make their Six Nations debuts over the coming weeks.
Those include Christ Tshiunza, who made such an impression with his teenage cameos in the autumn. Now 20, he retains his place in the squad, with Pivac keen to find a player who can serve as a hybrid lock/back rower looking ahead to the World Cup.
Tshiunza is the man providing that option in this campaign, along with Seb Davies, who had three outings on the blindside in the autumn.
Davies is joined in the second row contingent by rookie Ben Carter, with boilerhouse chances on offer in the absence of Alun Wyn Jones and now departed duo Jake Ball and Cory Hill.
There’s a further Six Nations newbie in Ulster’s Bradley Roberts who is another to get a shot amid the hooking absentees, while Gareth Thomas also gets his first Championship shot on the back of his exploits on the Ospreys loosehead, notably his big all-round display against Racing 92 on the weekend.
As for surprise omissions, well Cardiff winger Owen Lane can consider himself pretty unfortunate given he is on fire at the moment.
But Pivac has opted to go for the Test experience of 48-cap Alex Cuthbert, describing his performance against Fiji in November as "fantastic".
However, Cuthbert has been cited for an alleged dangerous tackle during the Ospreys' Champions Cup clash with Racing 92, so there could be developments on that front yet.
Finally, there’s the captaincy.
With no Alun Wyn Jones or Owens, the role of the skipper was up for grabs.
Jonathan Davies and Ellis Jenkins took turns at the helm in the autumn, but Pivac has opted for Dan Biggar.
That’s a reflection of the fact he sees Biggar as a very likely starter.
Even though he is one of four fly-halves in the squad, the Northampton pivot remains the firm front-runner, having been Pivac’s go-to man at 10 during his reign.
Jenkins faces competition for the No 6 jersey from Ross Moriarty who is set to return to action for the Dragons next week following his shoulder injury, while Davies missed out on a centre spot last time out against Australia.
So Dan’s the man for the captaincy and it will be fascinating to see how he goes about the job as he has never been short of a word or two out on the field over the years.
Now he’s got more of licence to talk to the officials as skipper, but it will be about choosing the right time to speak and the right thing to say.
One just hopes it’s not too much for Biggar who already has the burden of navigating the ship and making the big tactical decisions at fly-half.
But he’s someone who relishes responsibility and will bring huge experience to the role.
So there we have it, the new-look Wales.
Want the latest Welsh rugby news sent straight to you? Look no further.
