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For the first time in their Wallaby careers, Samu Kerevi and Tevita Kuridrani started in the centres against Japan at Yokohama with Henry Speight and Marika Koroibete on the wings.
And the Fijian connection worked a treat in the nine-try 63-30 win with Kuridrani crossing for three, Kerevi notching a double, and Speight grabbing one.
Even though Koroibete didn’t appear on the score-sheet, he was very effective in a Wallaby backline display that gave supporters plenty to cheer about.
Throw in the ever-present Kurtley Beale out the back, Reece Hodge making the most of his first crack in a Wallaby ten jumper, and Nick Phipps at last playing like a 59-Test veteran should, and subsequently, the Wallaby backline fired.
Sure the Wallabies were bigger, stronger and more experienced than their opponents, but to their credit the Japanese never threw in the towel and were, in fact, finishing the stronger in the last 20 minutes.
The cynics will say the Wallabies should have won by more than 33 points with 61 per cent possession and 57 per cent territory. They also dominated the run metres with 616 to Japan’s 350.
But that would be nit-picking.
For too long, the Wallabies have been criticised for lacking flair, but the Fijian connection has corrected that, with the most significant plus the performance of Hodge.
(Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images)
Sure he made the odd mistake and took the wrong option every now and then, but overall he was very impressive, especially with the boot by converting all nine tries from all over the park.
And he did it with authority, with every conversion higher than the goalposts.
But no side can win without good service from their forwards, and that’s exactly what the backline enjoyed.
The scrum was solid with Scott Sio, Tatafa Polota-Nau and Sekope Kepu showing they are here to stay as the number one picks.
The Wallabies won all their lineouts with Polota-Nau finding his targets and turning in a powerhouse display across the board.
Adam Coleman continues his rapid rise among the world’s best locks, and there was nothing wrong with Rob Simmons’ comeback to the big time, with a runaway try a personal bonus.
But the pick of the pack was Sean McMahon, who has never played better with every touch of the ball gaining metres to support his solid defence.
Michael Cheika has at last found a number one number eight in McMahon while Lopeti Timani is an ideal back-stop with Ben McCalman in the mix as well.
(Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
There was a downside, however, with the Wallabies missing 36 tackles, while Japan missed 32.
But the international was played at such a cracking pace for the 80 minutes, missing tackles would be a direct result.
Having said that, missing 30-plus tackles against Wales, England, or Scotland over the next three weeks would have the wrong direct result.
This is the time for Cheika and the Wallabies to finish the year with six successive wins, and look to 2018 with a far more positive approach than they had at the beginning of this year.
As for Japan, they must change their tag from the Brave Blossoms – it hardly has a robust rugby ring to it.
The Samurais or Warriors would be far more appropriate, and the way Japan played at the weekend, they deserve the promotion.