Wales have not won away in the Six Nations in Dublin since 2012
Positivity and progression were the prevailing sentiments following Wales' encouraging performance in their 27-17 Six Nations defeat to Ireland.
While another international loss cannot be overlooked, some pride has been restored after certain Irish pundits criticized Welsh rugby prior to Friday's match.
However, key figures such as Ireland head coach Andy Farrell did not dismiss Wales. In every post-match question, Farrell emphasized how impressed he was with the Welsh side.
Wales have struggled to shed the label of plucky losers in recent years due to some heavy defeats. Although there have been significant improvements against Scotland and Ireland, converting these performances into victories remains the challenge for Wales head coach Steve Tandy.
Wales aim to avoid a third consecutive Six Nations campaign without a win when they host Italy in the final round. If they replicate their spirited display under the Friday night lights at the Aviva Stadium, they may have a chance.
When will performance translate into results?
Despite the positive signs, Wales' losing streak in the Six Nations has extended to 15 matches, with their last tournament victory coming against Italy in March 2023.
Overall, Wales have lost 25 of their previous 27 internationals, with the only wins being two matches against Japan.
"We believe we can win games, but it is easy now to go and think just because we've had performances, the win will come," said head coach Steve Tandy.
"International sport doesn't work like that. We can't cut corners.
"There's still the reality check of, just because we've had performances which is creating confidence and belief in our group, we haven't got a God-given right to go and get a win against Italy.
"They went through a similar thing to us for a long period of time and it took a while to get there."
Captain Dewi Lake expressed optimism about an imminent win, which Tandy hopes will materialize.
"I believe the win is around the corner for us," said Tandy.
"We are asking this group how can we accelerate, but also know we have to do that faster than others because we are 12th in the world for a reason.
"We have to earn the right to get into situations where we can win games."
Dominant defence
Cardiff flanker Alex Mann exemplified Wales' defensive effort against Ireland as Tandy's team completed over 240 tackles.
The significance was not only in the volume but also in the impact, highlighted by a powerful tackle from Eddie James on Garry Ringrose.
Tackle counts often vary post-match; Mann's tally was reported as either 32 or 33, which would set a Six Nations record, surpassing France hooker Guilhem Guirado and Wales lock Luke Charteris, who both recorded 31 tackles in a single game.
Other key contributors in the tackle count included Cardiff flanker James Botham, lock Dafydd Jenkins, and captain Dewi Lake.
Tandy has consistently selected Mann and Lake to start in all eight matches during his tenure and praised Mann's tenacity.
"Manny [Alex Mann] has been outstanding," said Tandy.
"He doesn't get the plaudits he deserves, there's always probably question marks over him whereas we see the player both sides of the ball.
"He's not the biggest man in the world, but he's growing as a leader as well and only going to get better."
Former Wales centre Jamie Roberts commended the defensive display.
"I thought they were magnificent," Roberts told ITV.
"We know how physical Ireland are, but Wales stopped that green wave dead in its tracks on many occasions and they can take huge pride from that.
"We've talked about Wales being a bit soft, maybe, in the past year, teams finding it easy to score easy tries against them.
"This was very different, that level of defensive intensity was brilliant."
Tandy also highlighted improved discipline, noting Wales conceded only seven penalties despite sustained pressure.
Carre brings some cheer back to Welsh rugby
Welsh rugby has faced challenges in recent years, but the elation on Carre's face after his remarkable solo try brought some much-needed joy to the team and fans, sparking amusing social media memes.
Carre's post-try reaction was more subdued.
"I saw some space and went as hard as I could and no one caught me," said Carre.
Previously deemed unfit for international rugby by former coaches Wayne Pivac and Warren Gatland, Saracens prop Carre has been reintegrated by Tandy.
His performance in Dublin demonstrated why that decision was justified.
Carre became the first Welsh prop to score in three consecutive internationals and only the fifth prop in international rugby history to achieve this feat.
This recalled memorable Welsh prop tries such as Gethin Jenkins' individual effort against Namibia in the 2011 World Cup and his try in the 2015 Grand Slam against Ireland, where he charged down Ronan O'Gara's kick.
Older fans may recall Graham Price's try against France in Paris in 1975 and Charlie Faulkner's score in Cardiff a few years later.
Carre, Wales' leading try and points scorer in this tournament, expressed a preference for team success over personal milestones.
"That Welsh heart and fight is always there, things are slowly getting better," said Carre.
"We are showing our people we are coming back and getting there.
"We are showing Welsh fans, and everybody around the rugby world, that while we are not back yet, we are closer than people think."
Are Wales getting the rub of the green?
For the second consecutive match, Wales were disadvantaged by some contentious refereeing decisions.
Against Scotland, an obstruction was missed in the lead-up to the match-winning try, while in the Ireland game, there were questions over two tries.
There were suggestions of a knock-on and obstruction for Jack Conan's try, and a possible forward pass before Jamie Osborne scored.
Tandy tends to avoid attributing defeats to officiating.
"There's lots of stuff we could go over, but ultimately we are not a team that probably gets the rub of the green at the minute," said Tandy.
"It's fine margins in Test match sport. For us as a group I'm not going to sit here and quibble about one or two moments in a game because there's so many moments.
"It isn't going to change the result now. The only thing that's going to get us better is ourselves."
Things that need to be addressed
Tandy is focused on Wales controlling their own destiny. Despite the encouraging nature of the defeat, several areas require attention.
Wales must improve their conversion rate of scoring opportunities. The first-half failure to score was compounded by missed chances from Josh Adams and James Botham early in the second half.
Fly-half Dan Edwards, who started in place of the injured Sam Costelow, had a mixed performance with some inaccurate and occasionally cautious kicking.
The composition and effectiveness of the backline will likely prompt discussion.
Questions include whether Eddie James is better suited as an inside centre rather than outside centre, and whether Louis Rees-Zammit's attacking abilities are best utilized at full-back or if he should return to the wing.
Tandy may also reconsider his substitution strategy. Prop Nicky Smith and number eight Olly Cracknell made strong impacts after entering the match post-half-time, but half-backs Kieran Hardy and Jarrod Evans remained unused on the bench.
These are among the issues Wales must resolve before their final match against Italy in Cardiff, where they hope to secure that elusive victory.
