The Wallaroos fought until the end but it was always going to be tough as England marched away with the 41-5 victory.
They were dominated at set-piece time and struggled for discipline as a rampant English pack was out on a mission to celebrate captain Sarah Hunter entering the record books.
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Whilst their World Cup dream is over, it feels like a new beginning for a program that has grown exponentially since the start of the year.
So what did we learn?
1.Outclassed
The Red Roses showed why they are the best in the world.
They were better in all aspects than the Wallaroos, treating the contest as the perfect warm-up before the semi-finals.
Credit must go to Sarah Hunter and the forward pack, laying the platform for all seven tries as Hunter enters the record books for most caps by an English player.
The likes of Zoe Harrison and Emily Scarrett were pivotal as they glided across the park, directing their bulldozing pack into space as they delivered an emphatic win.
2. Building blocks
Rugby World Cup 2021 has provided the foundations for a young Wallaroos squad to take the next level.
The loss to England was a reminder of how much more is needed if they wish to reach a maiden final but there are plenty of promise in this squad.
The likes of Bienne Terita, Arabella McKenzie, Bridie O’Gorman and Maya Stewart form a core group of stars that can be the cornerstone leading into a home World Cup in 2029.
WXV will help the Wallaroos gain more valuable match opportunities, but this needs to be developed further to deliver on the enormous potential of the 15-a-side game.
3. Rolling on
England delivered a set-piece masterclass to assert themselves in the contest early.
The scrum bullied their Australian counterparts and lead to Hunter crossing for an easy try to celebrate becoming the most-capped player ever.
Their rolling maul delivered the second try of the match, taking advantage of Shannon Parry being in the bin, as player of the match Marlie Parker dived over
Packer added her second shortly afterwards as the English forwards continued to run riot, scoring all seven tries as they sent a warning to the rest of the competition.
4. Signs of growth
Whilst the Wallaroos were blown off the park in the first half, there were glimpses of their rapid development, evident by their try just before the break.
It was a great set of interchange in the wet conditions from forwards and backs to put Emily Chancellor over the line in the corner to the delight of the crowd.
They also showed great resilience to repel countless attacking opportunities from the English, with the scoreline not a fair representation of how well they fought.
Three straight weeks of Six Nations exposure will only do wonders for this squad.
5. Playing the conditions
The Wallaroos were guilty of not playing to the drenching conditions in Auckland as England build an early dominance.
Their game plan was simple: build field territory via the boot of Harrison and Scarrett before grinding the Australians down until they got the ball down.
Meanwhile, the Wallaroos couldn’t get their line out going as they seemed to be overthinking every call as they operated at 40%.
Also, the decision to go for a penalty 45 metres out with England down a player let the Red Roses off the hook badly as the world number one side re-established their holding over the game.
