Joe Schmidt has passed his first assignment as Wallabies coach, after Australia won three from three across the July international series.
Sure, the opposition didn't rank among the Test game's elite. But you can only beat what's in front of you and, after last year's deplorable season under Eddie Jones, a 3-0 sweep is nothing to be scoffed at.
Clearly there are far sterner challenges to come in the shape of the world champion Springboks, the All Blacks and the Pumas, who are ranked No. 1, No. 3 and No. 7 respectively. The Wallabies sit two places further adrift of the South Americans in ninth.
Discussion will soon turn to what should be a pass mark for Australia across The Rugby Championship. After going winless in the truncated version last year and managing just the two wins the season prior, you'd imagine the bookmakers would frame the under/over line at roughly 1.5 wins.
But before we look too far ahead, it's worth unpacking Australia's two wins over Wales and the weekend's triumph over Georgia.
THE WALLABIES ALREADY LOOK A MORE COHESIVE UNIT THAN 2023
Schmidt is a coach renowned for his attention to detail, who favours structure and control over off-the-cuff attack. The prevalence of the box kick, in the two Tests against Wales in particular, may not have Wallabies fans jumping for joy, but they remain a necessary part of a Test rugby game plan and a tool Schmidt used heavily with Ireland.
The improvement in that department of Jake Gordon's game has been huge, his ability to not only clear the Wallabies' 22 after points, but also raise contestable kicks for his teammates to chase was a key part of Australia's wins in Sydney and then Melbourne.
The starter plays too, stood out, though perhaps not as clearly as Gordon's box-kicking, with Andrew Kellaway's break against Wales at Allianz Stadium an obvious example of Schmidt's coaching acumen.
But the Wallabies' best play came in the opening 20 minutes against Georgia on the weekend, bringing about tries to Hunter Paisami, Rob Valetini and Isaac Kailea.
Direct, fast, physical: Australia went through the heart of the Georgians' defence, recycled possession quickly and then finished the job. The build-up to Paisami's try was particularly impressive and arguably the most impressive sequence of Wallabies' execution since they stormed out of the blocks against the Springboks in Adelaide in 2022.
The key now is to be able to sustain it for longer periods.
THE WALLABIES HAVE A SECOND QUARTER PROBLEM - AND IT'S DIRECTLY LINKED TO DISCIPLINE
There was a time, not so long ago, when the Wallabies were paying a price for their slow starts, leaving themselves too much work to do against world-class opposition.
Thankfully for Schmidt, that isn't an issue he seems to have inherited from his predecessors. It is quite the opposite, in fact, with Australia building 13-3, 17-0 and 19-3 leads in July to take an early foothold in each of their recent Tests.
What the Kiwi does need to find an answer for is his team's second-quarter fade, which allowed both Wales and Georgia to respond before halftime.
In each of those encounters, the Wallabies' ill-discipline gave their opponents the opportunity to acquire territory and possession, which Wales used to kick into the corner and exert further pressure from their rolling maul, which Australia found almost impossible to defend. They conceded a penalty try and a yellow card to Fraser McReight in Sydney, while the following week in Melbourne Wales skipper Dawi Lake rumbled over for two five-pointers in eight minutes, which cut Australia's lead from 17 points to nine by halftime.
On the weekend in Sydney, winger Filipo Daugunu paid the price for an awkward aerial challenge, with his on-field yellow eventually upgraded to a red, the only solace for Australia was the fact the match was being played under the 20-minute red-card replacement law trial.
But if Australia are serious about competing with first South Africa, and then Argentina - whom they face in two Tests in South America - and eventually the All Blacks, they simply cannot afford to squander any scoreboard pressure they are able to apply inside the first 20 minutes.
Australia's Rugby Championship rivals will have seen their frailties at the maul, and while they were able to halt the Georgians' lineout drive at the weekend, and McReight touched down for a double via the same set-piece himself, each of the All Blacks, Springboks and Pumas will see huge opportunity when they kick to the line inside Australia's 22.
Just what punishment Daugunu receives remains to be seen, but one would envisage he could miss at least the Wallabies' first Test with the Springboks in Brisbane.
STOCKS UP
A number of Wallabies players put their hands up for continued selection in July, with Schmidt using the weekend's clash with Georgia as an opportunity to explore the outer reaches of what was originally a 38-man squad.
Of the newcomers, Isaac Kailea was a standout, while Josh Flook and Jeremy Williams were also not out of place at Test level. Meanwhile, the involvements of Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Daugunu - at least before his red card - and Harry Wilson on their return to the Test arena will have also pleased Schmidt.
Wilson's combination with McReight - the duo have played together for a number of years now having first started at junior age grade - was on show in the lead-up to Valetini's second try on the weekend, while Australia did not appear to lose much at the lineout on account of the Queensland No. 8's inclusion.
Whether Valetini and Wilson in the same back-row is the right fit for every opposition is dubious, but on the evidence of Saturday's game alone it should not be cast aside completely; perhaps both players simply required the right instructions?
The door won't be shut on Charlie Cale either, but there are oppositions he will be more suited to than others - the Pumas potentially - while the slippery conditions that greeted his run-on debut did not really suit his looser game.
STOCKS DOWN
While there were few poor performers in July, there were certainly a handful of players who did not grasp the opportunity bestowed on them.
Ben Donaldson had the chance to stake his claim for the No. 10 jersey against the Springboks, but he failed to deliver the commanding, composed performance Schmidt will have been looking for.
From an early missed kick for touch, another dreadful line clearance and a couple of other helter-skelter moments - his fumbles in the lead-up to Davit Niniashvili's try weren't ideal - it just wasn't Donaldson's afternoon.
That being said, Noah Lolesio's performances against Wales didn't exactly inspire bucketloads of confidence either, before he came off the bench against Georgia and also miss-kicked a penalty dead.
For now, though, Lolesio deserves the opportunity to establish himself at No. 10, while you get the feeling Schmidt holds youngster Tom Lynagh in high regard. Had it not been for injury, it's likely Lynagh would have been given the nod to start against Georgia last weekend.
Elsewhere, Angus Blyth is probably the likely casualty of Will Skelton's predicted return while either Darby Lancaster or Dylan Pietsch would likely make way for Marika Koroibete.
WHO ELSE COULD COME INTO CONTENTION UNDER THE GITEAU LAW?
Schmidt was long on the record in saying he would only consider Australia-based players for the Wallabies' July campaign, and certainly he wants to build a culture of picking from home where it is possible moving forward.
But there is no hiding from the fact about what Skelton, in particular, would add to this Wallabies team, with his ability to upset opposition mauls almost unrivalled around the globe. He would also give the Wallabies a bigger body they so desperately need up front, and help to shore up a scrum behind Taniela Tupou.
The Arnold brothers, Richie and Rory, are probably less likely to earn a recall, that is unless Australia are hit badly by injury in the second-row throughout the Rugby Championship.
Samu Kerevi, meanwhile, presents an interesting case. The veteran No. 12 was well below his best on his return from a knee injury last year, and he has only been playing second-division rugby in Japan.
But his career body of work means the prospect of a return for the former Queensland captain can't simply be cast aside, while Australia also currently present as a very small backline unit.
Hunter Paisami has carried on his strong Super Rugby form, and he looked right at home alongside the returning Len Ikitau on the weekend, too. But while he hits well above his weight, neither the Springboks nor All Blacks will be worried about him bending their defensive lines with any great impact.
THE FUTURE UNDER SCHMIDT LOOKS ...
Encouraging.
Australia's ninth-placed ranking is however an accurate reflection of where the team sits right now. The challenge for Schmidt is to move that back up towards No. 6, between now and the visit of the British & Irish Lions next year.
But in just three Tests the Kiwi has proven that the Wallabies are capable of repair, that the damage done by Eddie Jones last year won't have lasting implications.
There is a mountain of work still to do, and undoubtedly some painful lessons to be learned along the way, but Australia showed enough during July to show the team has a heartbeat and, as a result, the broader Australian rugby environment does too.