Relief and pride as agonising Wales wait for win ends
It was a good day for Tandy, who celebrated his first Six Nations win as Wales head coach and only his second victory in nine games in charge. The players speak with great affection about their boss and believe in his long-term project. "This is something we've been building towards," said Lake.
"When Steve talks about the performance over the result, it's a genuine point for us. "We ultimately think if we get our performance on the pitch, that takes care of the result. " Wales were grateful for two of their more experienced players delivering starring roles, with number eight Aaron Wainwright scoring two tries and captain Lake grabbing another.
Wainwright, who has provided a ball-carrying presence alongside Rhys Carre and Eddie James, has been Wales' standout player in the tournament with five outstanding displays, overcoming injury issues in the past couple of games. "He's a fantastic player," said Tandy. "We were concerned last week after he had a bump.
But I've never seen him so focused. “Even though there was a bit of doubt, he said he was playing. " Hooker Lake has responded after a difficult opening personal performance in the 48-7 defeat by England.
He has been inspirational on the field and impressive off it, with Tandy now having a leadership decision to consider when regular captain and flanker Jac Morgan returns from injury. "The skipper has been brilliant over the last six weeks," said Tandy. “The way he's integrating with referees, the way he's learning constantly around his leadership.