Wales finally ended their miserable 11-game losing streak with a comfortable 54-8 victory over a poor Romanian side at Wrexham's Racecourse Ground.
Full-back Gavin Henson enjoyed a 100% record with the boot, kicking 24 points as an experimental Welsh side ran in six tries to lift some of the gloom in the Principality at present.
Whether National coach Steve Hansen will learn anything from the game remains to be seen because of the standard of the opposition, but a number of players - Henson among them - will certainly have enhanced their World Cup claims.
Wales's last win had come against Canada in November 2002, with losses following against New Zealand (twice), a Six Nations whitewash, the Barbarians, Australia, Ireland and last Saturday in humiliating fashion against an England second string.
Hansen had even temporarily handed over the reins to former Wales A coach Mike Ruddock for the match so he could concentrate on the visit of Scotland to Cardiff this Saturday, although he was at a half empty Racecourse to view proceedings.
The New Zealander had selected very much a young, makeshift side for the match, including four new caps - wing Nathan Brew, scrum-half Michael Phillips, prop Paul James and lock Brent Cockbain - while four other debutants were on the bench.
However, most of the pre-match attention had been focused on wing Shane Williams, winning his 11th cap after two years in the international wilderness.
And in a frenetic opening it was Williams who gave his side the perfect start with just two minutes on the clock.
A Romanian scrum was disrupted deep inside their own 22 and after Wales had won quick turnover ball Williams was put away down the left to touch down in the corner.
Henson converted - only for the east Europeans to respond almost immediately with a try of their own.
A strong forward drive eventually saw prop Petru Balan touch down under a heap of bodies - full-back Danut Dumbrava missed the conversion.
A Henson penalty and a short-range converted try by Phillips on his debut gave Wales the advantage, before Dumbrava found his range with a successful strike for the visitors.
However, it was the home side who finished the half stronger thanks to the boot of Henson and a try through Leeds number eight Alix Popham to make it 30-8 at the interval.
It got worse for the visitors after the break when they lost try scorer Balan, yellow carded for an off-the-ball charge on Phillips, with Henson extending Wales' advantage to 33-8.
Brew then added to the misery, bursting through from a well-worked inside pass from fly-half Nicky Robinson before the visitors were reduced to 13 men when hooker Marius Tincu was sent to the sin bin for a late challenge.
Wales were dominating the second period and it came as little surprise when flanker Gavin Thomas was next over the line as the Romanians lost all their shape and discipline.
Then in the dying moments the impressive Williams danced over for his second of the night to take Wales past the half-century mark.