Wales ended their 2022 Six Nations campaign on the sourest of notes, losing to Italy in Cardiff.
The embarrassing 21-22 defeat in the capital meant Wales finished the tournament in fifth place, with the psychological impact, as World Cup-winning coach Clive Woodward alluded to, likely to go on much longer.
It was a result that stunned the Principality Stadium crowd and prompted joyous scenes on the pitch from Italy, who had not won a Six Nations game in their last 36 attempts.
READ MORE: Dan Biggar says several team-mates probably won't play for Wales again
The scoreline and performance of Wayne Pivac's men also generated scathing reviews in the Sunday papers.
Here is a taste of what is being said....
Utter embarrassment - Daily Mail
Utter embarrassment for Wales. Joy unconfined for Italy.
What should have been a day to remember for two Welsh greats in Dan Biggar and Alun Wyn Jones turned into the stuff of nightmares.
Wayne Pivac's side should be embarrassed to have produced a display of such abysmal paucity. It was as bad as it gets for those of a Welsh persuasion.
For Italy, it was a first Six Nations win since 2015 as they finally ended a run of 36 straight Championship defeats.
They deserved it, too, as they showed two fingers to the critics who believe they have no place among the northern hemisphere elite.
"It's simply not good enough," said Biggar, his 100th Wales cap ruined by the shock loss. "I don't know where we go. So many facets of the game weren't good enough. It was so poor. It's probably the last chance for a lot of players."
Wales weren't just bad, they were unmotivated, lethargic — and made so many basic errors it almost beggared belief. Like Biggar, the great Jones was also celebrating a milestone game with his 150th cap. Both players will want to forget this day and quickly, but it's unlikely they will be able to.
Wales were dire - The Telegraph
This was supposed to be a party to celebrate Alun Wyn Jones and Dan Biggar’s milestones and yet here came Italy, lining up a wrecking ball and swinging it into the Principality Stadium with gusto to secure a first Six Nations win in seven years.
Victory at long last after 36 defeats, thanks to a bit of magic from their new wizard at full-back in Ange Capuozzo, his swerving, magnificent run setting up Edoardo Padovani for a try with 90 seconds left. Paolo Garbisi, Italy’s great hope at fly-half, knocked over the conversion before collapsing into floods of tears. It was one of the finest match-winning tries you will see.
Italy were excellent in several areas, the kick-chase noticeably better combined with an abrasive defence that forced Wales’s attackers back time and again. Singling out talents feels wrong but Capuozzo, linked with European champions Toulouse, was superb and so too Danilo Fischetti, Italy’s magnificent loosehead.
Wales were dire. Adams’s try with 11 minutes remaining looked set to spare their blushes following a performance where they were outplayed physically and largely devoid of attacking ideas.
Turgid, uncreative and ill-disciplined - The Guardian
So much for sentiment. This was supposed to be a day to celebrate two of Wales’s greats. Alun Wyn Jones and Dan Biggar earned their 150th and 100th Test caps for their country respectively. Cardiff’s grand arena was bathed in glorious sunshine. They were playing a team on a 36-game losing streak in the Six Nations. What could go wrong?
When Josh Adams scored a solo try with 10 minutes remaining he looked to have given his team an undeserving win. The men in red were turgid, uncreative and ill-disciplined. But Biggar’s conversion meant they had a 21-15 lead. They were back in control.
Then Ange Capuozzo collected the ball deep inside his own half with a minute remaining. The diminutive full-back put on the afterburners and galloped up field as if those around him were slogging through porridge. He slipped Adams’s tackle and then rounded Louis Rees-Zammit. Rather than dart for the corner he smartly passed inside to Edoardo Padovani, who skipped home under the poles. Paolo Garbisi’s conversion tore up one fairytale script and underlined another few could have predicted.
A victory for rugby - Press Association
Wales had been set for a landmark day in their Guinness Six Nations finale at the Principality Stadium as Alun Wyn Jones and Dan Biggar celebrated major milestones.
Skipper Biggar became the seventh Welshman to collect 100 caps, while Jones clocked up 150 Wales appearances, making him the first player in international rugby union history to reach that figure. The Osprey forward was returning for his first game since autumn shoulder surgery
Though some will say Italy had spoiled what was hoped would be a day of celebration for the Welsh talismen the bigger picture is surely a victory for rugby and the integrity of one of the sport's most celebrated competitions.
Darkest days in their history - Independent
Wales ended their Six Nations campaign with a humiliating defeat as Italy stunned them 22-21 at the Principality Stadium.
Last season’s champions had hoped to give milestone men Dan Biggar and Alun Wyn Jones a day to remember. Skipper Biggar became the seventh Welshman to collect 100 caps, while Jones clocked up 150 Wales appearances, making him the first player in international rugby union history to reach that figure.
But the script was torn up by an Italian side that claimed a first Six Nations victory for seven years that ended a run of 36 successive losses in the competition. It was also their first triumph on Welsh soil and ended a run of 16 successive defeats to last season’s Six Nations champions.
Owen Watkin, Dewi Lake and Josh Adams scored tries for Wales, with Biggar converting all three, but it will go down as one of the darkest days in their history after losing to the regular Six Nations wooden-spoonists.
