SALET returned yellows at positions two and three — A and L both present but displaced. CLAIR sharpened the picture: still yellow A (not position two), still yellow L (not position four), and now a yellow R joining the mix. Three known letters, none in the right place yet.

ROMAL was the pivot: green R at the start, then grays in the middle, but greens at positions four and five — A and L suddenly locked into place. The solver was down to one candidate.

RURAL dropped perfectly. The double-R structure is what made this tricky to approach but satisfying to land.