The Wales renaissance in France has been one of the stories of the 2023 Rugby World Cup so far.

That is exactly what has happened following the 40-6 demolition of Australia on one special night in Lyon.

Bonus-point wins against Fiji and Portugal laid the foundations, but the whipping of the Wallabies has ensured world rugby will sit up and take notice of Warren Gatland's side.

How has this happened to a rugby nation that has been in turmoil?

Self-belief and hard work

Gatland has now achieved four World Cup quarter-finals with Wales. Perhaps the last few weeks in France could be classed as one of his greatest achievements.

Is it up there with the two global tournament semi-finals, the Grand Slams or taking Wales to number one in the world for the first time in 2019?

This assessment would be based on from where he has taken this squad. They were at almost rock bottom, they had lost to Georgia in November 2022 and had seen a head coach in Wayne Pivac sacked.

The squad who threatened to strike in February 2023 before the England game because of contractual issues, with then captain Ken Owens declaring Wales had become the laughing stock of world rugby, is strongly represented in France.

Fast forward eight months, Gatland has lifted them to the World Cup knockout stages with relative ease.

His ability as a motivator is well known. His style is clear messaging. Simple, yet effective. Tell the players enough times they are working harder than anybody else at the gruelling training camps in Switzerland and Turkey and they will believe him.

Inform the media Wales will shock people and do something special at the World Cup and the players will be inspired by such public sentiments.

Gatland also employs the carrot and stick approach. He works the players hard, but knows when to tell them to relax and enjoy themselves.

Wales this week returned to their Versailles training base following the Wallabies walloping and have had three days off to relax. They will switch off, but know what to expect when they return.

Settled side

When Gatland returned to Welsh rugby in December 2022, he had no idea what his best side was. He admitted as much.

There were 26 starting changes during the 2023 Six Nations as Wales only won an away game against Italy and finished fifth in the table.

There was no further evidence during the World Cup warm-ups of any cohesion as he gave everybody a chance to prove they should be in his 33-man squad.

Gatland has come across, whether by accident or design, a settled side that started the wins against Fiji and Australia.

Back row and centre combinations, an Achilles heel for Wales since the 2019 World Cup, have emerged as if they have been playing together for years.

Captain Jac Morgan, Aaron Wainwright and the imperious, fit-again Taulupe Faletau have proved an immense back-row trio, while Nick Tompkins and George North have proved a revelation in the Welsh midfield.

There have also been no scandals in a serene build-up and few injury concerns, with fly-half Dan Biggar expected to be fit for the knockout stages after suffering a pectoral injury against Australia.

Youth and experience

When Wales lost Alun Wyn Jones, Justin Tipuric and Rhys Webb to international retirement and hooker Owens to injury in the summer, there appeared to be an experience vacuum.

Gatland knew he had established players like Test centurions North, Faletau and Biggar at his disposal, while Liam Williams, Dan Lydiate, Leigh Halfpenny and Gareth Davies are playing in their third World Cups.

Josh Adams and Adam Beard have recently won 50th caps and lock Will Rowlands has proved a colossus.

Scrum-half Davies is a man reborn after being left out of two international campaigns before returning for the global tournament.

Pivac took him to South Africa in the summer of 2022, but Davies was left holding tackle bags and did not feature in the three Tests. He was overlooked for the next autumn internationals and Six Nations, but brought back in by Gatland.

The Scarlets scrum-half proved he is a World Cup animal against Australia when he scored an eighth tournament try, a record for his position in the the history of the competition.

You also have developing youth, epitomised by the selection of co-captains Jac Morgan, 23 and Dewi Lake, 24.

Hooker Lake has so far been a fringe figure on the field, but his time will come and he is an important vocal presence around the squad.

Morgan has been a revelation after starting all three games and playing every minute. He has produced sublime moments like flick passes and a range of kicks to set up tries, alongside the hard work associated with a typical foraging flanker.

Morgan leads the individual tackles chart with 44, while Wales top the team tally with 506.

"Jac is phenomenal," said Wales forwards coach Jonathan Humphreys.

"Captaincy has not changed him one iota. He's one of these guys where nothing fazes him, he is just the same kid through the week.

"He's brave and had such an impact on the group. He's a huge figure for us."

Band of brothers, family first

Backs coach Alex King was the first to publicly coin the "band of brothers" phase with regards to this group. Every squad claims to be tight, but you sense this one is more than just a soundbite.

Anybody who witnessed wing Adams delivering a rousing pre-match speech at the news conference for the Australia match will believe they will fight for each other.

There was a lump in his throat as he spoke and the hairs stood up on the necks of people who witnessed it in the Lyon auditorium.

Post-match you had Beard belting out an Atomic Kitten song to commemorate his 50th cap with the backroom staff and squad all joining in.

Gatland's mantra has always been family first. If the players are happy at home, they will be happy at work. This World Cup is no different, with his wife Trudi and assistant to the team Caroline 'Caz' Morgan central to this policy.

"In our meeting room before the Australia game where we have food, there was a big family event going on with all our kids, families and wives," said Humphreys.

"You can hear them all laughing and joking and having a good time. We reiterate we do this for them, that's what it's about. Right down to the bones, it's incorporated in everything we do."

Fly-half Gareth Anscombe scored 23 points against Australia after coming on as a replacement for Biggar.

"The management have done a great job in connecting us with our families," said Anscombe.

"Gats [Warren Gatland] spoke about them pre-game against Australia and he hit the nail on the head. It was about putting in a performance worthy of the sacrifices our families make.

"When you get those moments on the field after the game and you can see the happiness of your family, that's what it's about."

What next?

Firstly, Wales have to take care of Georgia on 7 October in Nantes. Gatland's side need two match points to top Pool C which would be either a win, draw or loss with two bonus points.

There is also a chance Gatland's men could be crowned group winners before that, should Fiji falter against Georgia next Saturday.

For all the plaudits about Wales' revival, they have not beaten any of the world's top five sides yet. They have not had to because of the favourable and much-maligned World Cup draw.

That will continue to benefit Wales into the quarter-finals, when they are likely to face Argentina on 14 October in Marseille, with England and Fiji in line to face each other in the same city 24 hours later.

Heavyweights South Africa and France and Ireland and New Zealand are likely to battle out the last-eight matches taking place in Paris.

So beat the Pumas and Wales will potentially book a Friday night semi-final showdown on 20 October against the Irish or the All Blacks at the Stade de France.

How many would have said that a couple of months ago? We wait to see how far this Wales renaissance can last. For now, Wales and their supporters are just enjoying the ride.