When Warren Gatland reassumed his position as head coach of Wales following Wayne Pivac's departure in December, expectations rose instantly among the Welsh public
After all, this was the man who almost fixed Wales' issues overnight when he took the helm in 2007 in the wake of the disastrous Gareth Jenkins era.
Within three months of getting unceremoniously dumped out of the Rugby World Cup at the pool stage by Fiji, Wales were lifting the Six Nations title at the then Millennium Stadium having brushed aside France.
Surely Gatland could do it again?
Well, it was never going to be that simple.
Back in 2008 the foundations were much stronger with both Cardiff Blues, as they were then called, and the Ospreys competing in the upper echelons of European rugby, with a properly-funded regional game doing its job in preparing players for test rugby.
The failures of 2007 lay with the coaching set-up and Gatland inherited a strong squad full of top-end test players whose only missing attribute was confidence and strength in depth.
This time around the game is in disarray, with the four regions facing funding cuts and no longer playing at a level which adequately prepares players for test rugby. The Ospreys' recent European success is very much the exception to the rule.
When you consider all the off-field distractions, particularly the contractual freeze, which only got lifted a matter of days ago, and the threat of strike action in the build-up to the England game then it's no wonder Wales are on course for their first Six Nations wooden spoon in 20 years.
But Gatland's biggest challenge is whether he can reinvent himself as a coach to suit the players at his disposal.
Controversial former England outside-half Andy Goode annoyed large sections of the Welsh rugby public last week when he questioned Gatland's approach.
Speaking on The Rugby Pod he said: "What I will say about Wales, and I feel pretty bad saying this - the way they play, the way Gats coaches, the game has moved on.
"You look at the Lions in 2021, how he set up that Lions team to try and play against South Africa, the way Wales are playing, what he did with the Chiefs in Waikato. Gats has got to evolve."
Goode is absolutely right when he says what worked a decade ago, or even two or three years ago, will not cut it today.
During his first stint in charge, Wales, at full-strength, had a pack of forwards who could physically go toe to toe with the best sides in the world.
Gatland's game-plan was very much built on winning the collisions, a strong set piece, and dominating the kicking game.
While it would be foolish to suggest Wales should shirk the physical challenge, he does not have the personnel to play the confrontational and direct game his sides played between 2008 and 2019.
Wales need to invest in an all-court approach, one which relies on skill, pace, and tempo and has more than one dimension.
The likes of Scotland and even Italy have expanded their horizons from a tactical perspective over the last few years and are now beginning to make progress.
This isn't going to happen overnight and might never come to fruition but Wales need to be brave, which might mean going backwards before moving forwards again.
Sometimes it requires hitting rock bottom before climbing onto an upward trajectory again, in a similar fashion to what Steve Hansen did with Wales back in 2003.
Gatland will be desperate to avoid a wooden spoon and the knives would definitely be out should Wales lose to the Azzurri in Rome.
While emerging victorious this Saturday is vitally important, there is a bigger picture in the upcoming World Cup, and also looking ahead to 2027.
It would be easy for Gatland to stick with the old guard but in my opinion he needs to be bold by going with the likes of Dafydd Jenkins, Christ Tshiunza, Tommy Reffell, Jack Morgan, Joe Hawkins, Mason Grady, and Rio Dyer.
The New Zealander has been dealt an extremely difficult hand but he would have known before accepting the job it wasn't going to be easy to turn around this Wales side.
This needs to be viewed as a long-term project with success at the 2027 World Cup as the ultimate goal.
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