Wales coach Mike Ruddock feels his side have added the necessary pack power to back up their panache and flair. Despite their Grand Slam, many felt Wales lacked the forwards to compete with the best, ex-England coach Dick Best talking of 'foundations of sand'.
But after seeing an improved line-out and dominant scrum against Australia, Ruddock feels that has changed.
"It was pleasing to get that total performance, we're now a team who can win dirty if necessary," said Ruddock.
"In the past we've creaked in the scrum and been targeted there and at the line-out - now we can target other teams.
"That doesn't mean we don't want to play our running game but I always knew we had the flair, we had to improve our basics."
The Wales coach saw his side's scrum supremacy turned into a penalty try that changed the course of the game against the Wallabies.
 Charvis was at the heart of Wales' forward effort against Australia |
"The scrum is a big weapon and it got us back in the match," Ruddock told BBC Sport Wales. "It's an element of the modern game that is under-used, but - as England also showed against Australia - if you've got a formidable set piece you have to use it."
Wales tight-head prop Adam Jones replaced Chris Horsman for the final 20 minutes, but says he was impressed by what he had witnessed from the bench.
"The Australia front row is not bad, but Chris, Rhys Thomas and Duncan Jones hammered them at every scrum," said Jones.
"Mike and all the guys have worked hard to get that area right.
"Chris has taken my place but we get on really well, we bounce ideas off each other on the intricacies of how to get the better of the opposition props."
 |  Robert Sidoli was magnificent against Australia |
Ruddock was also pleased with the line-out, an area that the Wallabies had threatened to attack. "We hadn't been precise enough at the line-out in our earlier games, but [Wales lock] Robert Sidoli was magnificent against Australia," said Ruddock.
"I'd had a word with him in midweek and told him to back himself more because sometimes he thinks too much about sharing out the duties.
"He put the pressure on himself and varied it well to give an awesome performance."
Despite his satisfaction with the improvement, Ruddock said that the end-of-series report for Wales would read "can do better".
"We're not kidding ourselves, we can't afford to start the Six Nations like we did this autumn and we have to hit the ground running," he said.
"The big performance against Australia was important as a springboard.
"Last season we were edgy until we got that first big win over England, then we were able to relax."
MMIX
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