No excuses.
After a downbeat June international series in which the Wallabies inexplicably lost to Scotland, there was an easy way out for the Australian managerial staff: The Test team being considerably off the pace could be pinned back onto the underperforming Australian Super Rugby sides, and Wallabies coach Michael Cheika not surprisingly used it by suggesting some players weren't fit enough.
This argument was accepted, because the five Australian teams were so poor and Cheika did not have enough time before the June Tests to mould the squad into a shape he liked. As with all mid-year internationals, it was a rushed, hit-and-miss operation.
For the Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship, it's a different matter. Cheika can no longer complain about having to be a miracle worker with off-colour goods. He has had the bulk of the Wallabies squad for nearly a month. This is ample time to get his team fit, primed and knowing exactly what they must focus on to defeat New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina.
So, no excuses ...
And that's why the Australian Rugby Union board will have to seriously question whether Cheika and his coaching and managerial staff have the answers to get this team back on track if the Wallabies do not improve substantially over the next two weekends - when they confront the All Blacks in Sydney and Dunedin.
This year's Bledisloe Cup series is a defining moment for Cheika.
Like most recent Australia coaches, Cheika's record against the All Blacks is pretty ordinary -- just one win from six. At least he has had a success, unlike Ewen McKenzie who finished with a solitary draw in his six Tests against the All Blacks. Their predecessor Robbie Deans's stint in trying to get one over his country of birth also was pretty barren -- just three wins and a draw from 18 Trans-Tasman duels.
It's a tough gig, as the All Blacks in recent times have been so dominant, but Cheika knows he has to beat the best if he is to regain credibility. As numerous Wallabies coaches have discovered, only so many mediocre performances are excused. There have been a fair share of lows after the highs of the 2015 Rugby World Cup campaign, with the Wallabies putting in too many unacceptable performances that have been lacking in skill and direction. They have under-performed.
Cheika's fire-and-brimstone approach works in the short-term, as with the Waratahs and their successful 2014 Super Rugby triumph, but to maintain momentum it must be backed by astute analysis, a winning formula and the ability to improve a team's capabilities and skill-set.
The Wallabies under Cheika have an underwhelming 56 percent success rate, and too often during his reign they have appeared to be clueless. We will see on Saturday night how smart the Wallabies actually are, and whether they are listening to the coach's message.
They had ample opportunity during the New Zealand-British & Irish Lions series to closely analyse the All Blacks' game. They will have discovered that the All Blacks are fallible. As the Lions showed, the All Blacks can be exposed. You just have to apply the pressure in the right spots. And you also have to be faultless.
There were extenuating circumstances around the Sydney Test last year. The All Blacks hotel bugging episode, which broke in the favoured New Zealand media outlets on the morning of the game, was a serious distraction. Having to deny any knowledge of the mysterious bug destabilised the Wallabies.
Sure, the Wallabies, coming off a dreadful June series against England in which Eddie Jones completely outsmarted his old Randwick teammate, were probably never going to win that night. But passion and drive was strangely non-existent in a game that was lost by halftime. Poorly aimed kicks, especially one that led to Jerome Kaino scoring, elementary handling errors and dreadful set-piece work saw the All Blacks leading 32-3 at the break. New Zealand won 42-8, six tries to one.
Then it all got silly when the Wallabies went to New Zealand and Cheika over-reacted to the Auckland media portraying him as a clown. Cheika's ranting and raving was exactly what the New Zealand media wanted him to do. He fell into their trap. Far smarter was the Warren Gatland approach this year -- laughing along with the cheap-seat satirists.
Twelve months on, and there's another distraction.
The axing of the Western Force from the Super Rugby tournament has been emotional and divisive, seeing several players openly vent their anger towards the national body. The Wallabies have a fair share of Force players deeply affected by the decision.
But again the Wallabies have had time to get over all that -- with more than a week between the decision and the Test. In the end, the fury over the Force demise could turn into a rallying force among the Australian players on Saturday night.
The Wallabies are unlikely to win the Bledisloe Cup opener. They are short two or three quality forwards to be a real threat, in particular a class No. 8 and a penetrative blindside flanker. They lack real leaders who remain clearheaded under pressure, and carry several players who although highly paid too often fail to produce -- especially against the All Blacks.
But to keep the Australian rugby heartland interested, they must at least show more heart than in last year's Sydney Bledisloe Cup Test.
Again, no excuses.