It was a classic case of a tale of two halves as England dusted off the cob webs in a 48-15 win over the Wallaroos.
The Australians delivered an almighty scare to take the lead at the break, forcing the Red Roses to dig deep in the second half before eventually blowing them away.
Watch every second of the Wallaroos WXV Global Series live and on demand via Stan Sport.
So what did we learn?
The scoreline doesn’t reflect how good Australia was, with the first half the type of performance that must be the standard for the Wallaroos.
They fired more than a parting shot at England in defeat, getting the better of the best team in the world in the opening 40 minutes.
Teams don’t do that against the Red Roses. This is a team undefeated in 1,400 days, and the Wallaroos left them stifled thanks to their rush defence and breakdown pressure.
It makes the thumping losses to New Zealand even more frustrating. The quality is there, but there’s a mental difference between playing the Black Ferns and Red Roses.
This is a 40-minute performance you look at five years before a home World Cup with hope about what's coming.
The difference in this game was the England forward pack, largely off the bench.
The ability to have Hannah Botterman, amongst others, coming on in the second half is a remarkable luxury. The returning prop was sensational and flipped a set-piece battle that Australia had been at least on par, if not in control of the lineout.
There was a scrummaging effort in the 48th minute that pushed Australia back five metres and from there, the dominance was established.
On top of this, having Marlie Packer, someone with more caps individually than the history of the Wallaroos, is a blessing.
Faliki Pohiva is the difference-maker for the Wallaroos.
Her absence against the Black Ferns last Test is amplified by just how good she was against the Red Roses.
The prop didn't take a step backwards and monstered some of the best in the world at stages, setting the tone for the rest of the pack.
The one-two punch with Eva Karpani is deadly, who came on for a late try after a clumsy yellow card, and you need to build around the duo as the program goes professional
Faitala Moleka's move to inside centre was inspired and suited the game plan perfectly.
Moleka’s strong boot complemented the fleet-footed Waiaria Ellis, who was freed to flourish as Moleka controlled the kicking game.
The Brumbies star is a bigger-bodied flyhalf so she didn’t look out of place, combining nicely throughout the contest, even if some kicks under advantage didn't get full pay.
Ellis, Moleka and Caitlyn Halse loom as the future of the Wallaroos, and their 10-12-15 partnership, along with a territory-focused gameplan, should continue.
The Wallaroos should go into the next two Tests against France and Scotland with their tails up, even with the big loss.
Australia has a great recent history against the French, stunning them in 2023 thanks to their power game. A first half like this afternoon's will give them a strong chance of back-to-back wins.
But the Scotland game is now must win. With the two sides similarly ranked, it's a game to target before the teams head Down Under for a pair of Tests.
It's imperative to build winning momentum to finish 2026.
