The Wallaroos will walk away from their WXV 1 opener understanding what they need to do to match it with the world's best.
England were never in danger as they cruised to a 42-7 victory, still finding their best form ahead of a grudge match against New Zealand in a fortnight.
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As for the Australians, they will need to rebound quickly before facing France next week as their execution faltered.
So what did we learn?
1. TAKING THE POSITIVES
When going up against an imposing team like England, it's important to focus on the positives from the game, mainly the impact from the bench.
The likes of Ash Marsters and Cecilia Smith provided significant impact with their carries, whilst debutant Desiree Miller was solid in defence with a pair of steals. Along with this, the return of Atasi Lafai was a welcome one almost 12 months on from a broken leg
Emily Chancellor was the standout, working relentlessly at the breakdown for several key steals.
In the end, the Wallaroos couldn't manage consistent pressure on the Red Roses' line and often let them waltz away with points on account of sloppy execution and tackling.
2. MAKING LIFE HARDER
Wallaroos coach Jay Tregonning would be lamenting the easy opportunities they gave England and it's easy to see why.
Lock Anabelle Codey could find herself in significant trouble after her pair of yellow cards for separate high shots. Both were low impact but showed why it's critical players make an effort to lower their body height.
The lineout is also a major concern, losing nine on the day. They operated at just over 50% and it allowed England to cause havoc and control the flow of the game.
However, the most frustrating moment came when Jess Breach went over in the corner just before the break, running the ball all the way around under the posts after the Aussies switched off.
It's basics like that which are just effort areas and tough for a coach to watch at any level of the game, let alone on a stage like this.
3. FINDING THE BALANCE
The decision to move Arabella McKenzie to inside centre largely paid off and is worth exploring further despite the defeat.
McKenzie played a large portion of her Rugby for Harlequins at 12 and her combination with Georgina Friedrichs looked especially threatening in the first half.
The playmaker led the way with 13 carries and also made several strong tackles against an English side that looked to target her.
It also freed up Carys Dallinger to take the line on more with her running game, breaking five tackles from her six carries.
The combination between the two will only grow, but McKenzie seems perfect to fill the void left by Sharni Williams from last year's World Cup.
4. NUMBER ONE FOR A REASON
Whilst they started sloppy, the class of England were on full display across the 80 minutes.
They hunted as a pack around the breakdown, constantly looking for the pilfer and often either disrupting the pace of the game or getting the turnover.
In attack, they bullied the Australian pack with a barrage of carries over the advantage line.
The influence of flyhalf Holly Aitchison was pivotal, who has stepped up in the absence of Zoe Harrison.
Ultimately, this game was always a stepping stone for England. November 4's World Cup Final remains the target, the only team to defeat England in several years.
5. STEWART CONCERNS
The Wallaroos will be sweating on the fitness of Maya Stewart after yet another nasty head knock.
Stewart was left out on the ground after coming off second-best in a tackle in the build-up to Ella Wyrwas' try.
It's her second bad knock like this in the space of six months, going down in identical fashion during April's Super W semi-final against the Fijian Drua.
Tregonning confirmed after the match Stewart had full memory and had bounced back from the incident.
However, it's a concerning pattern for a world-class player only at the start of her career.
