Wales fans have grown all too familiar with disappointment over the past year, but Saturday’s performance against Ireland offered hope of a brighter future
Though Ireland ran out deserving 27-18 winners, this was as well as Wales have played for a long time. Interim head coach Matt Sherratt brought a new approach to the team, encouraging a far more attacking and creative style of play.
Wales showed more ambition and flair than in their opening two Championship games combined, although they ultimately fell short. As Wales now look to build on this display ahead of their trip to Scotland, there are certainly areas for improvement.
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But for the first time in a while, there’s a sense that the team is moving in the right direction. Here’s a look at the winners and losers from a thrilling day of Six Nations rugby.
Winners
Matt Sherratt
To think Sherratt only had three full training sessions to prepare this squad to face one of the best sides in the world - the performance was quite remarkable. One game is not a valid data set and they did ultimately come up short but there were plenty of positives to build on ahead of Wales' trip to Murrayfield in two weeks' time.
Sherratt had empowered this side, especially from an attacking point of view, with Wales looking far more creative behind the scrum. In the first two rounds of the championship Wales failed to fire any shots but they certainly tested an Ireland defence which is considered one of the world's best.
It was very clear the players were fully invested in Sherratt's tactical blueprint which may not have been the case under the previous regime. But for all the positivity - yes, it's been a long time for Welsh rugby fans - Sherratt will not be getting carried away.
Wales were at home and had the element of surprise which won't be the case up in Murrayfield. But at least they have something positive to build on for the first time in what feels like an age and the target has to be ending this wretched run of defeats before the end of the Six Nations.
WillGriff John and Nicky Smith
When Sherratt held court with the Welsh press to discuss his team to face Ireland, there were so many talking points he was not asked his reasoning for selecting WillGriff John. More than a few eyebrows were raised at the 32-year-old's initial selection in Warren Gatland's Six Nations squad.
John has struggled to make an impact during his first spell in the Wales squad under Wayne Pivac, although Covid disruptions had played a part, and things didn't go to plan during his short stint at the Scarlets. He got released in 2023 and that appeared to be that as far as John's international career was concerned.
A short spell as a medical joker in France at both Racing 92 and Montauban ensued before he found his way back to Sale Sharks where he has regained his form. John did a fine job at the scrum against Ireland, getting the better of the powerful Andrew Porter and helping his side win four penalties in this area.
He was also busy around the park, getting through a huge amount of the unseen dirty work and putting in 10 tackles. John deserves to hold onto the number three jersey for the rest of the championship.
Nicky Smith is another player who was not flavour of the month under Gatland or Pivac, despite being undoubtedly one of the most destructive scrummaging looseheads in northern hemisphere club rugby. The Leicester Tigers prop finally got his just rewards and was extremely effective at scrum time, while he also carried well.
Ellis Mee
Less than a year ago the 21-year-old was plying his trade in the second tier of English rugby for Nottingham. He was spotted by former Wales openside James Davies who is now recruitment and operations officer at the Scarlets.
Davies had spotted something in the rangy youngster, who qualifies for Wales courtesy of his mother who hails from Newport. Mee has made a big impression at the Scarlets and has taken to international rugby like a duck to water.
He was outstanding in the narrow defeat to Ireland and looked at home in the international arena. Mee has an X-factor and looked dangerous whenever he had the ball, while he also made two clean line breaks.
The Scarlets man was also mightily unlucky not to score what would have been a tremendous finish at the corner in the dying stages of an enthralling Test match. From here on in teams will give him a lot more respect and it will become harder but Mee is certainly a player with a high ceiling.
Taulupe Faletau
Prior to the Six Nations many experts held reasonable doubts as to whether the 34-year-old could still cut it at Test level given his age and his numerous injuries in recent times. But the Cardiff backrower was very good against Ireland, rolling back the years to put in an assured performance.
Faletau topped the carrying charts with 15 and got Wales over the gainline on a number of occasions, which has been in short supply in recent times. He was hugely effective not only in heavy traffic but on the edges where his footwork, offloading ability and high rugby IQ caused Ireland problems.
Wales will need Faletau to be at his very best if they are to put an end to this horrible run of 15 defeats in a row and it looks as if there's some fight left in the old dog yet.
Jamison Gibson-Park
The experienced Ireland scrum-half will be one of the first names on Andy Farrell's team sheet for the British & Irish Lions' three-Test series against the Wallabies this summer. If Gibson-Park was absent the result may well have fallen in Wales' favour, such was his influence on the game.
The Leinster star is such an intelligent rugby player who makes excellent decisions under pressure. Ireland's game revolves around Gibson-Park who is the general who makes them tick.
When Ireland found themselves behind on the scoreboard it was Gibson-Park and his half-back partner Sam Prendergast who dragged them back into contention. If it wasn't for the brilliance of Antoine Dupont he'd be the best scrum-half in the world.
Losers
Warren Gatland
The 61-year-old has been an outstanding coach and his contribution to Welsh rugby should never be forgotten but yesterday's performance, albeit in defeat, is evidence his departure was the right move. Gatland criticised the negativity from sections of the Welsh press - which includes a handful of his former players - citing it as one of the reasons Wales have struggled of late.
But that had nothing to do with Wales' poor form. Gatland owes just as much to that golden generation of player as they owe to him and they had every right to be critical of a side who had lost 14 Test matches on the bounce.
Yes, there are a myriad of severe problems within Welsh rugby which handicapped Gatland but his coaching methods had clearly become outdated. Two things can be right at the same time.
It is only one game and Wales will be back to square one again if they lose heavily at Murrayfield but the players took to the field as if the weight of the world had been lifted off their shoulders. It was undoubtedly the right thing for Gatland to move on and the reality is it should have happened sooner.
Garry Ringrose
Ringrose is not a dirty player but his high shot on Ben Thomas towards the end of the first half could have cost his side. The Leinster centre made direct contact with the head of the Wales man and his initial yellow card got upgraded to red.
World Rugby are struggling to get the balance right between player safety and ensuring the game is not ruined as a spectacle because of red cards. There is a strong argument Ringrose's tackle should have been a permanent red card.
It was direct to the head with no mitigation and this whole 20-minute red card is nonsense. A red should mean the offending team is reduced to 14 players for the remainder of the game.
Andrew Porter and Irish props
The Ireland loosehead is a fine player, one of the best front rowers in the world, but the legality of his scrummaging has often been questioned. Referee Christophe Ridley was having none of it at the Principality Stadium and penalised Porter on a number of occasions, with Wales tighthead WillGriff John getting the better of his more experienced opponent at the set-piece.
Porter is a near-certainty to tour with the British & Irish Lions to Australia this summer and you can guarantee Joe Schmidt will be devising a way of exploiting the Leinsterman at scrum time. In the lead up to the Six Nations Ireland's succession planning at prop had been questioned by certain elements of the Irish press.
The likes of Tom Clarkson and Jack Boyle are good prospects but prop is one area where Ireland do not have as much strength in depth.
Wales replacements
Jarrod Evans made a positive impact, with his ability to play to the line and his flat passing game, but on the whole Ireland bench swung the result in their direction. Wales' scrum suffered upon replacing Smith and John, while there wasn't enough impact from the bench on the whole.
On the flipside Bundee Aki made a huge difference for Ireland after replacing Ringrose, with his explosive carrying and work at the breakdown hurting Wales. Ryan Baird was also impressive off the bench, while the Irish scrum improved once Finaly Bealham came on.
