With the World Cup just under four months away Wales would have hoped to be in a stronger position so close to their opener against Fiji in Bordeaux.
Given Wales spent the first three years of this World Cup cycle under Wayne Pivac before parting ways with the former Scarlets coach they are way behind the eight ball.
It's fair to say Warren Gatland faces one of the toughest challenges of his coaching career turning Wales from also rans into a genuine World Cup threat.
The Six Nations was a disappointment for the men in red who lost four out of five Tests, but it was very much a free hit for Gatland who who retook the reins in difficult circumstances.
Those who have previously been involved with Wales are adamant the uninterrupted access Gatland will have to his players over the next couple of months is enough time for the New Zealander to significantly improve this side. The squad meet up on Thursday week and also have intensive training camps in Switzerland and Turkey,
WalesOnline take a look at the key areas Gatland needs to focus on...
Front five power and mobility
Gatland has already singled out the front-five as an area in need of urgent improvement.
During last year's autumn internationals, and the Six Nations Wales got blown away physically on too many occasions which meant they couldn't get a foothold in the game.
Historically, Gatland's game-plan has been hugely reliant on winning the collisions, and if Wales fail to gain at least parity in the autumn then they'll struggle to compete.
Wales' front-five needs to be significantly fitter and more mobile than they have been of late.
If they fail to get over the gain-line then it becomes a vicious circle from there on in because they won't be able to secure an adequate speed of ball at the breakdown which will in turn hinder their attacking game.
"Players that give us that athleticism and mobility is a big area we need to improve on our game," said Gatland recently.
Wales lacked ball carriers in their front five during the Six Nations, and they will need the likes of Ken Owens, Dewi Lake, Rhys Carre, and Alun Wyn Jones to get over the gain-line while footwork, and offloading from the point of contact will also be important.
As the old saying goes the forwards decide who wins the game and the backs decide by how much.
Set-piece solidity
The scrum has not been as secure as it needs to be which is why the selection of Henry Thomas is a smart one.
Thomas is mobile around the park but is also a strong scrummager, and at the very least will put pressure on Tomas Francis and Dillon Lewis.
The selection of the Ospreys' destructive scrummaging loosehead Nicky Smith is also a good one, although Rhys Carre's explosive carrying may also be needed.
When Wales slipped to defeat at the hands of England during the Six Nations they only had a 54% success rate at scrum time in comparison to the 75% which Steve Borthwick's side achieved.
Of course, it depends how many scrums take place in a game with there being significantly more rucks for example, but it is still an area which needs to improve.
Lineout is also an area where Wales need to tidy up, and at the very least you need at least a 90% success rate to provide adequate attacking opportunities at Test level, and it is of paramount importance that it is accurate in the opposition 22.
During the autumn and Six Nations the set-piece was extremely unstable at times which meant Wales struggled to get any structure into their game which in turn forced them onto the back foot.
Be more clinical
Wales held onto the ball very well during the Six Nations only conceding an average of 11.4 turnovers per game while they regained a lot of possession from their kick chase.
They were able to retain possession relatively well but most of the time it was slow ball, while they didn't get over the gain-line enough.
Ultimately, they weren't clinical enough upon entry into the opposition 22 which killed them during the Six Nations.
They lack a ruthless edge, and on a number of occasions last season worked hard to get into the opposition 22 only to squander too many gilt-edged try scoring opportunities.
It goes without saying if they can't remedy this they will be in trouble.
Make defence watertight
Wales' defence had a few problems during the Six Nations which is understandable given Gatland had only appointed Mike Forshaw a matter of weeks before the tournament began.
Under Pivac, and his defence coach Gethin Jenkins, Wales were too easy to break down and Gatland must first make them a tough side to beat - as they were when Shaun Edwards was his assistant.
Their linespeed needs to go up a few notches while the one on one tackling wasn't where it needed to be in February and March.
Gatland will undoubtedly also want his side to improve their post contact work, in particular slowing opposition ball down.
It is likely Gatland will find room for either Jac Morgan or Tommy Reffell in his back-row to work alongside the world class Justin Tipuric.
Make Wales the fittest team at tournament
In the lead up to the previous three World Cup's Gatland has put an enormous emphasis on turning Wales into one of the fittest teams in the world game.
They haven't had the ideal start in this regard with head of physical performance Bobby Stridgeon leaving early, but in former Wales hooker Huw Bennett they have a more than able replacement.
During the Six Nations Wales weren't where they needed to be from a fitness point of view, and they'll need to address this over the summer.
The players will be physically pushed to the absolute max in Switzerland and Turkey which will also help build their mental resilience in tough Test matches.
As it stands Wales aren't fit enough to compete with the best.
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