Maybe it's time to revise opinions of the Wallabies.
Off the evidence of the last few weeks, this Australian side is suddenly a lot more gold than green, and even shaping as a possible long range contender at the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.
Amongst the early conclusionsfrom the 2021 Rugby Championship, the emergence of the Wallabies has been one of the most compelling.
The All Blacks were the most dominant team across the tournament – and have broadened their player base considerably – even if they slipped from their own high standards in the last two matches against South Africa.
The Springboks bounced back from a wretched few weeks to claim a massive victory on Saturday night, just their third over the All Blacks in the last 18 encounters.
It showcased their ability to find a performance when it matters, and will engender massive belief, though several veterans will need to be managed carefully in the next two years.
But the Wallabies might have provided the best storyline, as we have witnessed advanced Australian fare.
Even though there were a range of mitigating circumstances, they looked a broken team at the start of the tournament, smashed 57-22 by the All Blacks at Eden Park.
Things didn't get much better two weeks later, when they crumbled in front of a 55,000 crowd in Perth. They couldn't make any inroads on the scoreboard during the 20 minutes the All Blacks were down to 14 after Jordie Barrett's red card, and conceded six tries in the 38-21 defeat.
Halfback Tate McDermott labelled the team "soft" and admitted they were probably the "most frustrating" Australian national team to support.
At that stage, the squad, and especially coach Dave Rennie, were under immense pressure. Critics were circling and it looked like a rebuild, rather than some renovations, were required.
But the Wallabies have turned a corner, in doing the double over the Springboks and the Pumas. It is the first time they have managed four consecutive victories in the Rugby Championship (or the Tri Nations) and confirms they are on the right track.
Australian winger Andrew Kellaway bagged a hat-trick against the Pumas. Photo / Photosport
Their wins over South Africa (28-26 and 30-17) were particularly impressive, given what the Springboks subsequently displayed against the All Blacks.
Huge credit must go to Rennie, who has been faced with myriad challenges in 2021, not least the rescheduled games which saw Australia lose a home Bledisloe match, then have to play twice in Auckland across a week.
But his messages and his methods seem to be working, while his call to select Quade Cooper and then get the best out of the veteran was remarkable.
There is a long way to go - it won't be an instant transformation - and the Wallabies could still struggle on their upcoming northern hemisphere tour, like they often do.
But Rennie, in only his second year of international coaching, looks a good fit. Michael Cheika did well to get Australia to the 2015 World Cup final but couldn't develop his team further in the following cycle.
Ewen McKenzie managed only one win in 10 matches against New Zealand and South Africa, while Robbie Deans couldn't build on promising early results to regularly challenge the All Blacks.
The Wallabies have plenty of room to improve, especially in terms of competing in transtasman contests, but appear to be on the right track.
In Japan in 2019 they weren't seen as a major contender, with the focus on Ireland, England and South Africa as the main threats to an All Black threepeat, and that prognosis was proven correct when they were thrashed 40-16 by England in the quarter-final.
