1. The Wallabies are back – categorically

The Wallabies’ win against England at Twickenham last November was good, and the win against the British and Irish Lions in Sydney was excellent – but the 38-22 victory against the Springboks at Ellis Park was on a different level.

They reduced the back-to-back world champions to a ragtag outfit by the final minute, lifted enormously when big Angus Bell roared onto the field for the second half and brushed past Springboks hooker Malcolm Marx with his first involvement. In fact, they were so ascendant down the home straight they were an inch of grass away from pushing the score out to 45-22 with the last play of the game.

They were smart, adaptive, resilient, athletic, tough and skilful – finally turning the page completely on the horror of the World Cup. So many things have to be right in the background to get a performance like this, and the sheer volume of things that are obviously working from Monday-Friday should give Australian fans cheer as much as the result.

There will be a lot of hyperbole in the coming days – and, for once, a lot of it will have some real foundation.

2 Frost, McReight, Bell and Jorgensen were brilliant

It’s hard to pick out a quartet of individuals when the likes of Tom Hooper, captain Harry Wilson and bench weapon Tate McDermott were also excellent. However, Nick Frost spooked the Springboks lineout, Fraser McReight cleaned them up on the ground, Angus........

© The Sydney Morning Herald