Australia can stun the Springboks and light up Twickenham, yet consistency against the world's best is still the missing piece.
Ask the Springboks about the Wallabies and you'll hear about a side that can bite when it matters. Australia once held off the South African champions while shorthanded and protecting a slim lead late on, and somehow walked away with the win. It was one of several flashes that show how dangerous this group can be.
There are plenty more. Trailing by two in the 83rd minute at Twickenham, Len Ikitau flicked an underhand pass to Max Jorgensen, who raced down the wing and dived in at the corner. Against the British and Irish Lions, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii carved through Tom Curry, Bundee Aki and Tadhg Beirne to set Tom Wright running into open space behind the defence.
The problem is everything between those moments. Australia have rarely lacked sparks, but they haven't strung them together often enough or for long enough to win week after week. They lost all four Tests on last autumn's European tour and two more in the summer. A six-match unbeaten run against Italy, Japan, Argentina and South Africa followed, then back-to-back Bledisloe Cup defeats to the All Blacks, by 31 points and then 22.
That is the real test for the Wallabies: not producing a highlight reel, but turning those flashes into a steady identity that holds up against the top sides. The talent is clearly there. Whether it can be built into a great team is the question that will decide if Australian rugby's revival is real or just another false dawn.
