The British & Irish Lions survived an almighty scare from the inaugural First Nations & Pasifika XV to run out 24-19 victors in Melbourne.
Waratahs flanker Charlie Gamble was a clear best on ground as Toutai Kefu's side emptied the tank in a stirring performance that might show the Wallabies' way to victory this weekend.
Get your tickets to see the Wallabies tackle the British & Irish Lions this Saturday at the MCG.
Here's what we learned from Tuesday night's clash at Marvel Stadium:
Both the Waratahs and Brumbies found ways to trouble the tourists - now the FNP XV have laid the blueprint for Joe Schmidt's Wallabies on Saturday.
Despite the Lions dominating territory (66 per cent), possession (53 per cent) and almost every other statistic, the FNP XV were relentless both sides of the ball and simply refused to go away.
Every tackle rattled teeth, every carry felt like two men behind the ball, and every moment won was celebrated wildly by players and a 30,000-strong Docklands crowd.
An early 14-0 deficit was quickly scrubbed out by Triston Reilly's intercept try and when Seru Uru fought his way over shortly after, the hosts were impossibly locked up with the mighty Lions at halftime.
Even the Lions' 24-14 lead with eight minutes remaining seemed shaky as Rob Letoa bashed over for a late try to set up a grandstand finish.
What more must Lukhan Salakaia-Loto do to earn a Wallabies recall against the Lions?
The towering Red of Samoan heritage produced his third consecutive worldy against Andy Farrell's men, backing up strong stints for Queensland and the AUNZ Invitational XV with another industrious performance.
Salakaia-Loto again topped the carry charts (10), performed strongly at set piece, stuck his tackles and was always in the thick of it.
His was the kind of showing that should have Joe Schmidt seriously considering a switch in the engine room or perhaps off the pine in a must-win Lions Test.
Fellow Wallabies Taniela Tupou, Seru Uru, Brandon Paenga-Amosa and Kurtley Beale all had their moments too - though Filipo Daugunu's further involvement is in doubt after failing an HIA.
17 tackles without miss and four penalties forced - this was a vintage fetcher's performance from the best moustache in Australian rugby.
Charlie Gamble's tenacity at the breakdown was key to disrupting the Lions' rhythm and once again showcased the value of a genuine onballer against Andy Farrell's men.
Australia is spoilt for choice in the openside flanker department with Fraser McReight, Carlo Tizzano and Luke Reimer jostling for position.
However, Gamble's dual performances against the Lions prove he's a big-game player and there's no doubt Tonga will be circling the talented Waratah.
Stiff competition means may not see Gamble in Wallaby gold - but don't be surprised if he's pulled into another camp come the Rugby Championship.
Let's not pretend this was a full-strength Lions outfit.
Andy Farrell's decision to roll out five debutants and a host of ring-ins/injury covers just to keep his Test side fresh for Saturday almost backfired.
Backrow trio Jac Morgan, Henry Pollock and Josh Van Der Flier were out enthused, locks Scott Cummings and James Ryan were outmatched and rookie flyhalf Fin Smith looked flustered all game.
The ensuing five-point win revealed two things about the Lions.
First, Farrell's First Test selections were completely vindicated, particularly in the backrow.
However, it also showed a softer underbelly to the tourists, who began to crack under pressure as the clock ticked away.
Let's take a moment to celebrate three standout performances from First Nations trio Triston Reilly, Andy Muirhead and Jarrah McLeod.
Reilly's prowess is already known after stints in the NRL, Australian Sevens and now with the Waratahs but Tuesday's try-scoring turn showcased his best rugby of 2025.
Brumbies centurion Muirhead delivered another assured performance across fullback and wing saw him lead the FNP XV's carry metres.
However it was the barnstorming emergence of McLeod that got tongues wagging after the former Australia U20s star delivered 40 sparkling minutes in the midfield.
McLeod carried seven times and surged through contact while laying on a string of massive hits - keep an eye out for this one in a Brumbies jersey.