Rousing performances in defeat against New Zealand and England during the World Cup followed by an emphatic victory over Scotland led to talk of yet another revival for Welsh rugby.

The 36-15 mauling by Ireland at Lansdowne Road on Sunday suggests that optimism was misplaced, but Williams reports his team-mates were never reading too much into their recent form.

I know the country was excited. But this wasnt a 'reality check for the squad, because we always kept everything in perspective, he said.

The nature of the game in Wales means we are built up and then put down pretty quickly.

But the squad never blew things out of proportion. We knew we hadnt yet played to our full potential, so we didnt rest on our laurels.

We hope this will not be too much of a downer. We always knew it was a long road back - but we have been making huge improvements.