The scenes of the full-time whistle in Belfast on Saturday night were a mirror image of what happened in Parma seven months earlier.
Before we dig any deeper, that in itself is a sure sign of the gradual progress Ireland has made in the short time since.
A fourth-place finish at the Six Nations is nothing to get excited about, and the table accurately reflects Ireland’s position in the world order.
Granted, they would like another crack in Wales, who finished just two points ahead of them, while England cruised to a Grand Slam at the expense of France, who like Ireland the week before felt the full force of a formidable team on the course. win the World Cup later this year.
Ireland will be watching from afar and that alone should fuel the motivation to ensure last year’s low never happens again.
At the start of a new era, there are many reasons to be encouraged by what awaits this group of players under a new coaching staff, even if there is a huge amount of work required in all aspects. of their game.
Three home wins were the target before a ball was kicked in the Six Nations and while two out of three is not bad it is important not to lose sight of the fact that England and France have kilometers ahead and do not stand still.
Greg McWilliams had a lot of work to do to pick up the pieces after last year’s disastrous events on and off the pitch.
The head coach wasn’t naive enough to think it was an overnight solution, but he brought back an atmosphere of well-being within the team.
The Irish public are also on board and the decision to bring the home games to Dublin, Cork and Belfast was a good decision, as the crowd lined up behind the girls in green.
McWilliams will have learned a lot about his squad composition, especially in terms of depth, as a ridiculous seven-man clash meant he was without seven players for games against England and Scotland.
Despite all the changes in the backline, the field largely looked stable throughout the tournament, as new stars such as Neve Jones and Sam Monaghan emerged.
Nichola Fryday has taken on the captaincy and led by example as she has visibly grown in terms of handling the added responsibility with each passing game.
Linda Djougang has proven herself to be one of the world’s leading supporters, as those around her thrive on her contagious work pace.
Edel McMahon was a defensive colossus, as no other player had more than her 88 successful tackles across the Six Nations.
McWilliams will be looking to land more front row players as the reliance on Jones and Djougang was evident.
He will, however, be happy with how his pack fits his desire for high playtime.
The scrum faltered at times, but the way the Irish peloton annihilated Scotland proved that when it comes to an even playing field they are a powerful force.
The alignment, on the other hand, has been a major weakness. As always, it’s not all down to the hooker, and while Jones’ throwing needs improvement, so do the mechanics of Ireland’s overall roster.
It’s all part of the need to improve the general skill level of the players, who sometimes made too many bad decisions, costing them unforced errors, including cheap penalties, discipline being another area that requires major attention.
The attack showed flashes of edge, especially when Enya Breen’s late try on Saturday came after a period of sustained pressure.
But McWilliams will know that if his team is to become a more cohesive unit, they need to weed out silly mistakes while improving their kicking game.
The good news is that McWilliams is expected to spend more time with his players than many of his predecessors.
Attention will now turn to the finishing touches to the summer tour, which will see Ireland take on Japan in two Tests. The importance of an Ireland women’s team going on tour cannot be underestimated.
“I know World Rugby is looking to run 10 games a year for each nation which is great,” McWilliams explained.
“If we get five in the Six Nations, two on the summer tour, and then look at getting three with the WXV (World 15s) in November, now you’re talking about a very good period of time with the players.
“It’s about their physical development, it’s about making sure they get stronger, it’s about making sure they get fit for the job.
“Ultimately, next year our goal has to be to get into the top three, so we can get into the WXV which brings more money, more TV, more eyes to the game, more development opportunities.
“There are a lot of really exciting things going to happen over the next four to six months and I’m just really excited to be here to hopefully help us improve the performance.”
How Saturday’s latest win over Scotland 15-14 could well prove to be a turning point for this side, many of whom are hoping to land 15-year contracts in the coming months.
Much work remains to be done, but after a difficult period for women’s rugby, Ireland can look to the future with hope for a brighter future.