By Sean Davies BBC Sport at the Millennium Stadium

Report: Wales 23-10 Scotland

The approach to the press from Scotland coach Matt Williams and his Wales counterpart Steve Hansen after the 23-10 win from the men in red spoke volumes on their differing characters.

Hansen, having seen his side reignite the belief of a nation with a thrilling win for attacking rugby, was downbeat and dour, as deadpan in triumph as he was under the pressure of an 11-game losing run.

After recent performances, the Welsh public are eager to clutch the Kiwi to their hearts, but he has yet to master the lovers' sweet talk.

Williams had every reason to be evasive, having witnessed a disjointed, error-strewn Scottish performance, that left major questions over tactics and team selection from his first game in charge.

There'll be a lot of pain before we move on Matt Williams

But in typical Australian style he barely gave the press hordes time to warm their pens before wading in with a breathtakingly honest assessment of the state of Scottish rugby.

"It's a very long road we're on and that display shows just how far we have to travel," said Williams.

"We have to change because at the moment when the pressure comes on people tend to revert to type.

"There were a lot of young guys out there and they realise how steep and high that mountain they have to climb is.

"There were positives out there. I though Chris Cusiter had a great game and there were some very good things from Tom Philip.

"We are disappointed, but it's where we are and there'll be a lot of work and a lot of pain before we move on."

If the Scottish journalists were swallowing hard at this point, their Welsh counterparts were experiencing a strange feeling of deja vu.

I told Matt I knew exactly how he felt Steve Hansen Hansen's last hurrah

The 'long and painful road' line has been a stock part of Hansen's repertoire ever since he took the Wales job in February 2002.

It seemed to be wearing pretty thin as he led the men in red on their record losing run, and the insistence that Wales' route to recovery lay in copying southern hemisphere models was guaranteed to rub many up the wrong way.

But now the painful journey seems to be paying off as Wales have followed an encouraging World Cup with what looks increasingly like a credible Championship challenge.

"This is what we've been trying to do for a long time," said Hansen after the Scotland game. "I've felt that things have been starting to click since we landed in Canberra at the start of the World Cup."

The jury is still out on the merits of the Hansen reign, but it is increasingly clear that he has built a young, talented squad with the fitness and back-up team to compete with the best.

There is also a depth to the party, meaning he can call on back-up players blooded in the fury of international rugby.

Hansen has positioned Wales for a Championship challenge

Hansen certainly has sympathy for the position Williams now finds himself in, and sought out the Scotland coach to tell him after the game in Cardiff.

"I congratulated Matt and said I knew exactly how he felt," said Hansen.

"I think, given time, Scotland will be a good side and that is good for international rugby."

Time is the crucial word.

Many would argue that Hansen only kept his job last year because of the dire financial position faced by the Welsh Rugby Union.

Williams will need his charm in overdrive to secure the loyalty of his bosses through the trials that are sure to come.