Sean Lynn remained upbeat but realistic after Wales suffered a heavy 67-12 defeat to England in the Women's Six Nations.
The Wales coach acknowledged the gulf between his own team and the Red Roses – the world’s best team - while emphasising his demand for improvement.
Wales conceded 11 tries to the old enemy, one more than their male counterparts had done in the same fixture a fortnight before.
It means two England teams have come to Cardiff and scored an astonishing 21 tries between them at the home of Welsh rugby.
"I think you've got to realise that you are playing the world's best," said Lynn.
"Not many sides in the world can have 13 changes and full respect from England to come here with a full strength squad."
Lynn, only two games into his tenure as Wales head coach, was realistic about the scale of the task ahead.
Despite the emphatic loss, he stressed that his side must use every game as a stepping stone for progress.
"We have to get better, every game we've got to be getting better," he said.
"We knew that there are going to be fixes, the defence system is something that we really need to be thinking about."
Wales struggled defensively, missing 28 tackles against England, compounding the 35 missed in their previous match against Scotland.
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New defence coach Dan Murphy has significant work to do in addressing these vulnerabilities.
"Dan has come in and he's brought a system in, it's just the girls getting that in place and also that trust as well," Lynn explained.
Wales had begun brightly at the Principality Stadium, taking the lead through prop Jenni Scoble’s try.
However, their advantage was quickly erased as England launched a ruthless response.
In a devastating eight-minute spell, the Red Roses ran in three tries through Maddie Feaunati, Megan Jones, and Sarah Bern, with Feaunati adding a second soon after.
The second half saw full-back Ellie Kildunne, playing her 50th cap, produce a stunning hat-trick within eight minutes, while winger Abby Dow and replacement forward Abi Burton each notched a brace.
Wales’ only other score came through back-row Kate Williams, marking the first time since 2019 that they had managed two tries against England.
Lynn, who had only three training sessions before Wales’ tournament opener against Scotland, now has the luxury of a fallow week to work with his squad ahead of their trip to Brive to face France.
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Despite the defeat, he saw promise in his side’s attacking play.
"I thought our attack looked really well today, very promising," Lynn said.
"Everything I've talked about is making sure we're always moving forward, I thought some of our attack today was outstanding but we just fell away.
"Just keep believing and let's keep moving forward. We're all in this together."
England’s emphatic victory, their 22nd consecutive win, highlighted their status as the dominant force in the women’s game.
The Red Roses showcased their depth and firepower, with Kildunne celebrating her milestone cap in style, securing the player of the match award in the process.
However, for Lynn, the focus remains on growth and the long-term development of his squad.
With two weeks to prepare for France, he is determined to use this time to instill greater defensive solidity and refine their attacking potential as Wales look to narrow the gap between themselves and the world’s elite.
"Just keep believing and let’s keep moving forward. We're all in this together,” he added.
