Once again, the Wallaroos found a way to get the job done, keeping their World Cup dreams alive.
It was far from perfect but Jay Tregonning's side did enough to come away with a 13-7 victory over Wales, securing their spot in the quarter-finals.
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The execution was lacking, there were some questionable decision-making and even referees getting in the way of a certain try but the Wallaroos overcame that to produce back-to-back wins for the first time in 2022 when they needed it the most.
So what did we learn?
1.Gritting it out
The Wallaroos once again found a way to get the job done when it mattered.
The six-point margin fails to reflect the plethora of opportunities they had and couldn’t convert, spending most of the second half in the Welsh 22.
However, another inspired performance when they needed it has kept their World Cup hopes alive for another day.
Once again, the forward pack stepped up when it mattered whilst the defensive system held strong under pressure, giving Wales nothing.
Who they face remains a mystery, potentially England or Canada, but they will relish the likely return to Auckland and the extra day of rest it brings.
2. Making the right decisions
Thankfully the Wallaroos got home because there were some seriously questionable options made late in the game that kept the pressure on.
After opening the Welsh up with their short kicking early, they completely abandoned the kicking game altogether in the dying stages as they favoured keeping the ball in hand to play the territory game.
There was an over-reliance on taking the quick tap, rather than milking the clock, kicking for touch and grinding the game out via a rolling maul that had developed serious dominance in the second half.
It meant Wales was always in with a chance late but credit has to go to the incredible work over the breakdown by the forwards to constantly turnover the ball and keep the Wallaroos on the front foot.
3. Amazing Grace
Grace Hamilton has been one of the players of the tournament and continued her red-hot form with another magnificent performance.
When the Wallaroos needed a tough hit-up, the number eight was there, producing an incredible 28 carries to easily lead both sides.
She was rock solid in defence whilst earning some key turnovers.
Hamilton is the first to admit 2022 has been a tough year, having lost the captaincy and falling out of the 23 during the O’Reilly Cup series.
However, performances like this cement her status as one of the best back-rowers on her day.
4.When it’s not your day
Australia went into the break with a narrow three-point lead but have fair arguments they should’ve been up a lot more at no fault of their own.
Bienne Terita produced some magic from the kickoff to get the ball back and the Welsh defensive line was left scrambling for numbers.
The Wallaroos looked certain with a 5-on-2 overlap before a late shift from referee Sarah Cox got in the way of Iliseva Batibasaga’s pass, breaking up the attack.
What was a near-automatic seven points turned into a 5-metre scrum, with some poor handling stopping the drive.
It sums up their attack, showing ruthless dominance to march into the 22 with ease before falling away when it came down to getting the ball over the line.
5. Old habits die hard
The Wallaroos still have significant discipline issues that need addressing before the knockout stages.
After a strong start, they piggybacked Wales down the field with some simple mistakes, allowing them to get on the charge via the rolling maul.
The late yellow card to Kaitlan Leaney, the team's sixth in three games (Parry, Wong, Talakai x2, Marsters), once again forced the team to dig deep and it brought the best out of them.
However, If they want to advance further than the quarter-finals, this has to be the main shift in their play.
