Warren Gatland was handed a graphic illustration of how challenging his second stint as Wales head coach could turn out to be as his side crashed to defeat against Ireland in Cardiff.
The men in red had lost nine of their previous 12 matches, so the ask was always going to be a big one against the number one-ranked team in the world.
Wales looked what they are — a side in transition.
They showed character to make a fight of the second half, but in the opening 40 minutes they were more at sea than Columbus, allowing Ireland to build a big lead.
Read more: Wales player ratings as key men struggle on Gatland's return
The trouble started when they messed up their exit from the first kick-off, with Tomos Williams failing to find touch. Just 13 seconds were on the clock at the time. Hugo Keenan ran the ball back and Wales were soon lining up beneath their posts.
Where else did it go wrong? What went right? Here are the winners and losers.
WINNERS
Hugo Keenan
How good was this guy? Rio Dyer isn’t slow. But Keenan fairly flew past him when saving a try for his team in the opening quarter.
The Ireland No. 15 went on to have a virtually flawless game — secure under the high ball, sharp in attack, reliable in defence.
Is he the best full-back in the world right now? It’s not a wild question to ask.
Welsh young guns
Everyone has to start somewhere.
Joe Hawkins, Dafydd Jenkins, Rio Dyer and Tommy Reffell would have preferred their Six Nations debuts to have seen a better result for their team, but it wasn’t to be.
Still, there were splashes of encouragement from the quartet.
Hawkins mixed his game up nicely, trucking play up when it needed to be, putting boot to ball on occasions and also showing moments of genuine craft, never more so than when standing at first receiver and throwing out a pass at lightning speed to create the space for Liam Williams’ try. It was an instance of rare red-shirted class.
The 20-year-old seemed to tire a shade in the final stages, lost the ball once and missed too many tackles during the game, but, overall, the pluses outweighed the minuses.
Jenkins excited the crowd with one immense carry, while Reffell competed hard at the breakdown.
Dyer is quick and has nice footwork and despite running up the odd cul de sac, he kept coming back for more. There needs to be more of an end product with him, but he has a commendable attitude.
Another youngster, Jac Morgan, also worked hard in adversity, stacking up 20 tackles and making more than 50 metres with ball in hand.
Pluses for Gatland on a day when the result went badly wrong.
Irish forwards
They destroyed the All Blacks in the summer and were organised, powerful and well-drilled in Cardiff, recycling at three seconds or under at 65 percent of their rucks. Their effort reflected hugely well on the work of Paul O’Connell as forwards coach.
Josh van der Flier was relentless at openside and hooker Dan Sheehan carried purposefully.
Then there was the 6ft 8in James Ryan, who caused Wales problems in the lineout and imposed himself in general play.
And Caelan Doris banged in 19 tackles without missing and also made 56 metres from his 15 carries.
Those searching on the internet for the definition of the word ‘sensational’ on Saturday evening, might well have been confronted by an image of Doris.
Wales competed better in the second half and held their opponents. By then, though, the game was over as a contest.
Liam Williams
He'd only played one full game of rugby this season prior to Saturday. And he was drafted into the starting line-up at short notice.
Yet he ran boldly out of defence, defused a number of bombs and scored a try.
Under the circumstances, Wales' full-back can be proud of his performance.
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LOSERS
Welsh lineout
Wales have been enduring lineout problems for so long that perhaps the last time everything went well on that front, Orville and Wilbur Wright were still assembling the contraption that would deliver the world's first powered flight.
OK, maybe not. But Wales’ lineout is not reliable.
On Saturday they had three decent set-piece opportunities deep in opposition territory but butchered them all. One of Ken Owens’ throws went over the top, another wasn’t straight, then Scott Baldwin’s first delivery was picked off by James Ryan.
No-one is saying it is easy. Ireland have an excellent pack and compete hard.
But a team messing up three gilt-edged chances at Test level is going to struggle to win, and so it proved again for Wales.
Whatever it takes to improve their lineout, they need to do it.
Wales in the collisions
Win the collisions, win the game — it’s become a mantra in modern-day rugby.
Actually, there are plenty of other important things that need to be done to guarantee ending up on the winners’ podium, but, still, it does help if you have ball carriers who can bump off others as if on the dodgems and defenders who can propel opposition players back behind the gain-line.
Wales didn’t win the collisions against Ireland.
According to the official statistics, every visiting player made it into double figures when it came to carrying metres. Frequently, Welsh players were forced back as green-shirted opponents drove hard and powerfully. The number of post-contact metres the Irish made must have been eye-popping.
Caelan Doris and Dan Sheehan were superb taking the ball forward, using powerful leg-drive to eat up the ground.
Wales perhaps could have done with a fully fit and firing Dan Lydiate somewhere in the mix, to stop the Irish on the gainline; the trouble is he is not fully fit and firing. Maybe Ross Moriarty would have been handy to have around to give the Irish something to think about. He may not be renowned for frills, but he is physical and there was a case for including him in the original squad.
From somewhere they need to whistle up some ball carriers as well. Dewi Lake is one, but he, like Lydiate, is currently sidelined. A storming charge forward from Dafydd Jenkins near the end on Saturday hinted that he could also fit the bill at some point. Maybe Christ Tshiunza might prove another.
Whatever, Wales have to be better in the collisions.
Wales’ composure
Rob Howley used to comment a lot on the importance of nailing the big moments. To do that requires composure.
Wales didn’t have it against Ireland.
They were forcing passes and making mistakes in key areas, resulting in chances being blown. Several half-chances were not taken.
One or two three-quarter chances went begging. If Wales are going to pick up in this Six Nations, they need to be more composed.
Warren Gatland
The New Zealander won’t panic because it isn't in his nature. But it’s an early candidate for understatement of the year to suggest Saturday was an early bump in the road for him and his team.
A hideous start saw Wales leak two tries in eight minutes against the side ranked number one in the world.
Good teams do not let opponents back into matches after building significant leads, and Ireland are a good side.
This week will be fascinating. Does Gatland give certain players a chance to redeem themselves, or does he shake things up — or does he catch the next flight home to New Zealand?
Only joking on that last point.
But if there were any doubts that the Kiwi had taken on a tough job, they surely would have been erased.
Welsh players giving away penalties
Discipline was dismal for the hosts. A side conceding 15 penalties is always going to struggle to win.
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