No-one in the Welsh camp would complain about the results, which have set Wales up for a shot at the Triple Crown and injected a long-lost confidence back into the national game.

There were even whispers in quiet corners of the Cardiff pubs on Saturday evening that a Grand Slam might just be on the cards.

But, by Shanklin’s own admission, the performances have been patchy and much work still needs to be done.

Six thrilling minutes at Twickenham secured victory over an England side that committed hari-kari in the second-half, while Scotland should have been buried long before they were such was Wales’ dominance.

The RBS 6 Nations may take a one-week break now but there is no hint of a holiday under Gatland’s regime.

Some players will be released to play for their regions in the Magners League this coming weekend, while others will spend most of the next fortnight preparing for the visit of Italy on February 23.

Gatland will make changes to his starting line-up and is considering naming the team later this week, possibly on Thursday, in order to maximise Wales’ preparation time.

Shanklin said: “It was nice to have put 30 points on Scotland but we didn’t really play that well if we’re honest.

“I thought we defended brilliantly but we were a bit sloppy in attack and we gave away quite a few penalties. We’re obviously happy with the win but it wasn’t perfect and there’s a lot more to come.

“There will be things to keep improving. We have to keep the momentum, keep the training intense over the next two weeks and bring it into the Italy game.”

Shanklin believes that drive for perfection is aided not just by the blunt and honest methods of the new coaching regime, but by a competition for places fiercer than many of the senior players have experienced.

Saturday’s win over Scotland was sealed with an audacious try from Shane Williams and a slice of luck from the television official, who decided the diminutive winger had not brushed the touchline on the way through.

But a key moment occurred about 10 minutes earlier when half-back pair Stephen Jones and Dwayne Peel were sent on to replace James Hook and Mike Phillips to “close out the win”, which they did to perfection.

As part of his changes, Gatland is likely to retain Jones and Peel for the clash with an Italian side which have England an almighty scare on Sunday.

And Shanklin said: “There is massive competition now. You are talking about world-class players fighting for a place in the team.

“It’s great. It creates a great buzz in training and when you get on the pitch, either at the start or off the bench, you want to make an impression.”