Hansen - changes ahead (Getty Images).

By Simon Stone, PA Sport, Brisbane

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Wales' amazing fortnight will only be deemed a true success by coach Steve Hansen if the whole country now gets behind the new professional structure.

Hansen and his squad are due to head home from Australia on Tuesday after setting the World Cup on fire with their heroic performances against New Zealand and England.

Though Wales were defeated on both occasions, the gutsy way they played has raised hopes of a bright new future in the Valleys after years of gloom and doom.

But, having given the Welsh public a glimpse of what could be, Hansen now believes it is time to rally round the five new teams - Cardiff, Llanelli, Celtic Warriors, Neath-Swansea Ospreys and Gwent Dragons - which have been entrusted to drive the elite game forward.

"Change is sometimes a frightening thing for people but right now we need to make some," he said.

"But the WRU cannot do it themselves. Everyone has to move together and become one nation rather than acting alone as a group of little villages.

"If our performances over the last two weeks have helped that, this tournament has been a tremendous success.

"Hopefully what we have done has put a smile on everyone's faces back home.

"We want sponsors to get excited because we need as much revenue as possible and we want the supporters to get excited so they can get behind the changes we have made."

Nine months after Welsh rugby hit an all-time low with a loss to Italy among a horror run of 10 consecutive defeats, Hansen somehow conjured up a gameplan which at times proved too tricky for both tournament co-favourites to withstand.

While it did not prove robust enough to earn Wales a coveted semi-final spot for only the second time in their history, it was enough to silence Hansen's many critics and the Kiwi did not waste any opportunity to lambast those who had given him such a hard time.

"We scored five tries against Canada, two against Tonga, three against Italy, four against New Zealand and three against England," he recounted. "It's not a bad record for a team which isn't very good.

"Nothing has happened in the past fortnight that hasn't been happening for a couple of years.

"We came to the World Cup with a plan and we didn't want to show the bigger teams the way we wanted to play against them.

"The tactics are out there now, so there is no point hiding them away anymore but what has happened here has gone and we have to move forward.

"It is those kind of days we have to remember when we get home and don't feel like training.

"The pain that comes with defeat should motivate you to do things others won't.

"You want to work to achieve more. That is what makes average sides good sides and good sides great."