But the Cardiff Blues star believes the Welsh players paid the price for falling to eight consecutive losses – and some tough talking is needed if they are to take anything from their next fixture against Frances in Paris.

“People have asked how there was such a difference between what we produced in the opening period of the game to the way we finished it,” Halfpenny wrote in his column on Walesonline.

“I wish I could give a definitive answer. Were we nervous or lacking in a bit of confidence early on? Possibly, yes. We’d been on a run of defeats and that does effect any team, it can be difficult to deal with.

“But I suppose we just have to trust in ourselves, and in what we know we are capable of doing.

“The longer the losing run goes on the more people are going to make of it, but I just feel one win would change everything. Confidence breeds, and victory would give us the spark we need to get back on the upward curve. I don’t feel that win is far off.”

After falling behind to tries from Cian Healy, Simon Zebo and Brian O’Driscoll, Halfpenny insists Wales can take heart from the spirit they showed to come back in the second half and push the visitors close, with the 24-year-old finishing with a personal haul of 12 points.

But he knows France on their own turf will be a different proposition to the side that suffered a shock defeat to Italy in their opening RBS 6 Nations fixture on Sunday.

“We weren’t good enough on Saturday, that’s the stark truth,” said Halfpenny. “We made too many mistakes and can blame nobody other than ourselves.

“If there’s one thing we can take out of that revival it is that we showed some guts, some fight, and proved that we have character in this group. That is what we’ll need out in Paris on Saturday if we are to bounce back from this setback.

“The French will be formidable opponents on their own turf, they can come at you from everywhere and they can also play a power game if the mood grabs them.

“We’ll be written off beforehand, but that hardly matters. Wales have gone to Paris in the past as heavy underdogs and won. We have it in us to do the same, no question.”