Italy coach Conor O'Shea has been described as "a master motivator" ahead of his coaching bow in the RBS 6 Nations Championship against Wales on Sunday.
The former Harlequins boss masterminded an historic victory over South Africa earlier this season, raising expectations for the clash with the Dragons in Rome.
And Wales assistant coach Shaun Edwards has cited the example of Azzurri skipper Sergio Parisse as a player who appears to be benefiting from O'Shea's skills.
The 33-year-old Stade Francais number eight is set to win his 122nd cap this weekend, and Edwards said: "What's fantastic about Sergio Parisse is that he has got a new lease of life now.
"You can tell that, under Conor O'Shea, who is a master motivator.
"You've also got Mike Catt and Brendan Venter on the Italy coaching staff as well. These are men to be respected.
"I read some comments from Sergio the other day, when he said he had been thinking about packing in international rugby. Let's hope he enjoys the rest of this Six Nations, but not [on] Sunday too much."
Wales have not lost to the Italians for 10 years, and they will be expected to keep that run going at Stadio Olimpico, despite the O'Shea factor.
Interim head coach Rob Howley is set to name his starting line-up on Thursday, with scrum-half Rhys Webb set to start after two recent appearances for the Ospreys following injury, while Bath number eight Taulupe Faletau could also be involved.
Faletau has not played since Christmas Eve due to a second knee injury this term.
Edwards added: "We've got to wait until Wednesday night for whether he is going to be declared fit or not for this weekend.
"Obviously, you want your best players fit and ready. We all saw what a fantastic impact he made in the South Africa game (last November) when he came off the bench.
"We are very hopeful he will be fit for Sunday, but if he's not fit, we will have somebody else coming in who will be keen and ready to go.
"Taulupe's impact off the bench was absolutely phenomenal against South Africa."
Meanwhile, Jonathan Davies, Scott Williams and Jamie Roberts are competing for a place at centre while some pundits have suggested that fly-half Sam Davies should start ahead of Dan Biggar.
Williams underlined his current form when he shone for the Scarlets against European Champions Cup opponents Saracens earlier this month.
Edwards said: "I was very pleased with Scott in the Saracens game.
"He has had some quite serious injuries in his career, including one at the (2015) World Cup, which put him out for the rest of the tournament.
"At the moment, he is playing regularly, and that makes a massive difference.
"Having studied the South Africa game in detail from a defensive aspect, I would stick my neck out and say Dan Biggar was our best defensive player on that day."