Three wins from three, but the focus for number eight Aaron Wainwright is less on the streak and more on what is underpinning it: control in the middle of chaos, and a set-piece that is becoming Wales’ major threat.

He came off the 24-39 victory over Fiji on Saturday still buzzing from the noise and the occasion, but his assessment was cool and measured.

“We spoke last week just about controlling some of the chaos, and again it was quite hard to do that this week,” he said.

“But I thought, especially when we went to our set piece game, we really took control there, and it was nice to see that we really set some dominance there.”

The start, he admits, was anything but controlled. Wales conceded after just three minutes to a classic Fijian try – offloads after drawing two tacklers, seeing blindside flanker Pita-Gus Sowakula sprint clear of the covering defence.

“It was very chaotic,” he laughed.

“I think when they made that break straight from the kickoff, it was a little bit like, oh, here we go.

“But we managed to get things back under control-ish, and went to our set piece quite a bit and set a platform for the rest of the game.”

If the performance offered reassurance, so too did the setting. The rarity of an ‘away’ game in Cardiff, but the relatively unfamiliar surroundings of the Cardiff City Stadium,  was a new stage for Wainwright and the rest of the Wales side at international level.

“Obviously different stadium to play in, and first time doing that internationally, which was something I enjoyed,” he added.

“It was a great occasion. Really noisy, really loud here. So massive thanks to all the fans and supporters that came out. It made it a good occasion.”

For Wainwright, place and memory are never far away. The next stop is Argentina, and with it a return to where his Test story began.

“I won my first cap out there [in San Juan],” he reflected.

“So I’m excited to go back and revisit. My dad made the journey after I made my first cap and I spoke to him about actually coming out again, but I don’t think he fancies that this time around, how far the travel is. But yeah, excited to go back.”

He is under no illusions about what awaits. Despite an opening weekend defeat to Scotland, Argentina are one of the most physical sides in the world. and will be another big test for Steve Tandy’s side.

“I’m probably expecting a little bit more controlled compared to the team we played today,” he explained.

“More of an arm wrestle, more set piece time, I think. But for us, we should keep concentrating on what we’ve been doing well and what we can control.

“Just keep building on the wins. I think it starts to become a habit. Belief starts to build, so just keep buying into that and what the coaches are asking of us.”

With Wales having to take two flights to get to the location of their fixture against Argentina – one into the capital Buenos Aires, and another out west to San Juan – Tandy confirmed that there would only be time for one full training session ahead of the match.

“Travel is something we’re going to have to face and get around. That’s part of professional sport,” Wainwright said.

“We’ve got great backroom and coaching staff, and the guys have everything in place ready for us.

“From what I can remember last time, it’s a very hostile crowd and loud, with all the fencing stopping the fans from getting on the pitch. That’s something the guys will have to handle, but something to look forward to as well.”

Amid all this, Wainwright lights up most when talking about those around him. Asked about Jac Morgan’s two-try, player-of-the-match winning display, the respect is obvious.

“He’s incredible to play alongside,” the back row added. “Jac is just relentless, just works his socks off and comes up at vital moments, whether that’ll be making a last-ditch tackle or winning the turnover for us.

“He’s always there or thereabouts. I love playing alongside him, and hopefully get to do that many more times.”

And as one of the senior figures now, he is seeing a new Wales take shape.

“We probably had guys come into the team with not very much international experience,” Wainwright reflects.

“If we come out the other end of that, you see combinations form and obviously be more confident on the pitch and know what to expect from one another.

“I think you can see those combinations having positive effects in games. There’s growth here.”

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