With a comprehensive win over Fiji , the Wallabies ensured they will get through to the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup in France.
Australia beat Fiji 55 12 last Saturday, but were almost unimpressive. After all, Fiji fielded a second-string team, saving their top players for their final match against Wales this weekend.
The winner of that contest will follow Australia through to the quarter-finals.
Despite playing poorly – though with many touches of brilliance – the Australians are building momentum. After the Fiji game, Coach John Connolly seemed almost contented in the knowledge that there were moves to tweak and skills to hone.
However, the scrum hardly tested the Fijians, who have no reputation as scrummagers – and this was their second-string team.
Still, the Wallabies have scored as many cup-competition points as the high-flying All Blacks – both have a maximum 15, with South Africa on 14, having scored one less bonus point.
The Australians, who started the season as the woeful Wallabies, have a history of peaking for the world cups – they are the only team to have won it twice.
Already legendary, former Wallaby David Campese is saying that the Aussie run has spooked the All Blacks.
Still, it's worth remembering that the South Africans thumped the English by an embarrassing 36 0, and England is the current world champion, though a shadow of itself four years ago.
And then there is France – second favourite going into the tournament, beaten by Argentina in the cup opener, throwing the cup into disarray and France into disorder.
But the French are back, led in spirit by the Caveman, Sebastien Chabal – the long-haired, bearded, havoc-wreaking, backrower.
With poor northern hemisphere performances, the French may be left carrying the torch for Italy, England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales .
That will be emotional. And the French are an emotional team. And time will soon tell whether that emotion has a tangible value.
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