If Rome wasn’t built in a day, Warren Gatland can argue that a Wales rebuild is no short-term affair, either.
But his players showed character to confound the expectations of plenty in the Italian capital. Wales had lost 12 out of 15 games while Italy had been playing well.
A lot were prepared to suggest Gatland’s team would come out second best at Stadio Olimpico, then, and go on to a Six Nations whitewash for the first time in 20 years.
It didn’t happen.
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Indeed, Wales scored four tries and banked a bonus-point 29-17 victory. For that, they deserve credit, even if their performance wasn’t perfect.
We look at the winners and losers.
WINNERS
Rhys Webb
At times under Wayne Pivac, Rhys Webb’s chances of starting a Test for Wales seemed so remote it might have been difficult to detect them even with the help of a high-powered telescope.
It had been approaching three long years since he last began for Wales. Six years since his last start in the Six Nations.
Under the previous coaching regime it didn’t look as if he’d return to the fold. But Warren Gatland gave him a place in the run-on XV against Italy and Webb repaid the belief in spades.
He offered something different. When there seemed little on early in the first half, he looked up and spotted the potential for a kick over the top, then executed the skill quite brilliantly to set up a score for Rio Dyer.
Italy's players being perhaps the last people on this planet to realise that the Wales No. 9 has a dummy in his armoury, the Osprey then offered them a glimpse of the aforementioned ploy before scything through a gap to put Taulupe Faletau over.
There was much, much more that was good about Webb, with his box-kicking and work in defence also impressive.
Not even a Philadelphia lawyer would have been able to dispute his right to the man-of-the-match award.
Good things, as they say, come to those who wait.
Liam Williams
Just before Liam Williams left the pitch nursing an injury, there had been a moment or two when some might have feared the full-back was going to have even more to worry about.
He had been yellow-carded in the games against Ireland and Scotland and had been told to watch his discipline.
But when he jumped for a high ball with Alessandro Fusco the Italy replacement appeared to get there first by a whisker, opening the possibility of yet another stint in the cooler for Williams and so completing an unwanted hat-trick.
Thankfully for him, the referee saw the episode as a fair contest. The Wales full-back otherwise had an excellent game, scoring a solo try and saving a touchdown at the other end with a turnover that showcased his courage. He adds value to the team and with him on the field there’s always a feeling something positive may happen.
He’ll never be the type to shy away from what he sees as 50-50 contests. But that helps to make him the player he is.
The old guard
That would be Ken Owens, Justin Tipuric and Taulupe Faletau, 280 Wales caps between them amid fathomless depths of quality.
When Wales needed the trio to stand tall, they did. For evidence of Owens’ contribution, consider exhibit A, which saw him somehow track back and put in an improbable try-saving tackle on giant Italian lock Federico Ruzza. There was also trademark industry in defence and purposeful carries.
Tipuric defended impressively yet again. In three outings in this Six Nations, he has made 40 hits and missed just one.
Doubtless, that solitary miss will annoy him. Only one player has put in more dominant hits.
The official stats from Stadio Olimpico also credited him with a couple of turnovers and a lineout steal.
Faletau was Faletau, never far away from the ball, scoring a try and creating one.
All three could be proud of their efforts.
The man who silenced his critics
At times in this Six Nations, Adam Beard has had reviews roughly on a par with the chap who shot Bambi, particularly when some social-media assessments are taken into account.
But Saturday in Rome was a better day for the 6ft 8in Ospreys lock. The bare stats may not suggest it, with Beard returning fairly modest tackling and carrying figures.
But raw numbers sometimes don’t tell the whole story. Beard put in a big shift in the close-quarter exchanges with his maul defence outstanding as he helped repulse a number of Italy thrusts. One memorable moment saw him use his Mr Tickle arms to effect a turnover. At other times, he could be seen galvanising his team-mates and providing real leadership. There was also an early lineout steal.
He will know there are still work-ons. But he was in credit at Stadio Olimpico — well in credit.
The 16th man
Welsh supporters were criticised in some quarters amid a perception that they failed the decibel test when England visited the Principality Stadium last month.
But they travelled in significant numbers to Rome. Indeed, it seemed as if the contents of a giant pot of red paint had been splashed across the stands at Stadio Olimpico, so many travelling fans were in the ground.
There were brilliant blue skies and a win for the visitors. Faith rewarded, then.
LOSERS
Welsh scrum
After seeing the Welsh scrum monstered in the U20 game against Italy on Friday evening, the question was whether the senior team’s set-piece would fare any better.
It did — but only because the bar was set so low.
There were still some deeply troubling moments for the visitors’ set-piece, at least one of which saw the whole lot crumple like an accordion. It wasn’t what two experienced front-row operators such as Wyn Jones and Tomas Francis would have wanted.
Italy had the upper hand there for much of the game, yet occasionally their own scrum malfunctioned, most notably near the end when Gareth Thomas and Dillon Lewis enjoyed some success.
But it’s an area for Wales to work on ahead of their trip to Paris next weekend, with the French likely to have noted the events in the Italian capital.
Welsh midfield defence - a worrying stat
To say it didn’t inspire confidence is to submit an early entry for Understatement of the Year.
Whenever home centres Tomasso Menoncello and Juan Ignacio Brex attacked there seemed the potential for trouble.
One match proves only so much and Mason Grady and Joe Hawkins are young players still learning the game.
Former Wales captain Gareth Thomas said of Grady before kick-off, with Italy predicted to pose a threat in the 13 channel: “A match like this will be worth 15 caps worth of experience.”
The hope from a Welsh perspective is that both players will have benefited from their outing at Stadio Olimpico.
Hawkins caught the eye with his carrying. But eight missed tackles between the pair tells a story.
Wales need to tighten up in that area for the trip to Stade de France.
Welsh attack
It was pretty ordinary again, really, despite four tries. Italy’s attacks flowed.
With a largely stable scrum platform, they made 11 clean breaks, beat 38 defenders — read that again: they beat 38 defenders — were confident enough to offload and made more than 500 metres running the ball back.
Their two centres, Brex and Menoncello, were never less than dangerous and fly-half Paolo Garbisi, though not at his very best, showed glimpses of true quality.
The visitors were nowhere near as fluent.
There were flashes of individual brilliance, notably from Rhys Webb and Liam Williams, but Wales’ attacking structure is still a work in progress just four games out from the World Cup opener against Fiji on September 10.
They will be pleased to have picked up a try bonus point. But they weren’t as easy on the eye as they might have been, with at least two clear chances butchered, Josh Adams untypically failing to convert one from close range.
Against better sides, such wastefulness will be costly.
Italy
They had played so well over the first three Six Nations rounds. But against Wales they were burdened by something to which they were unaccustomed — expectation.
It proved too much for them. Their attacks were still a joy to watch and they beat defender after defender, but too often they made needless mistakes in the red zone that ruined the good approach work.
They do have something to build on. But coach Kieran Crowley will know this was a missed opportunity.
Read more:
Wales player ratings as Rhys Webb rolls back the years but winger frustrated after Gatland call
Warren Gatland Q&A: The players that pleased me and what we still have to work on
Wales finally win a Six Nations match as old face returns to make difference
Italy 17-29 Wales Live: Faletau secures bonus point win in Six Nations
