It was a delight for Australian rugby fans to at last get up on a Sunday morning and enjoy a riveting, brutal, intense international where first-rate skills were displayed and rewarded. One problem though... that match didn't involve the Wallabies.
Ireland's first triumph in Dublin over New Zealand was a special moment - especially how they executed a precise, wise game plan aimed at pressuring and intimidating their illustrious opponents. There were countless highlights, in particular the rarity of seeing an All Blacks pack disintegrate.
One could only imagine the after-match lunacy in the greatest of party towns. All in all a magical rugby moment.
But back to the usual mundane matters. Sunday morning also meant having to endure the struggling, dishevelled also-rans, with the world's seventh-ranked team up against the 13th best side in international rugby. Australia confronting Italy was a next-best affair, where despite the relief of a Wallabies win, all it did was remind all how large the gap is between Australia and those who actually know how to play the game, such as Ireland, New Zealand, England and Wales. It's Grand Canyon stuff.
This came after another destabilising week for this football department of silly walks.
First up, Rugby Australia failed dismally in its bid for the hosting rights for the 2021 women's Rugby World Cup. The final vote wasn't even close, with New Zealand winning a lopsided ballot 25-17.
No wonder the New Zealand Rugby boss Steve Tew keeps grinning like a Cheshire cat as he continues to play his Australian counterpart, Raelene Castle, off a break. Tew must love the fact that Castle regards him as her mentor. This is an unfair battle. Now the rest of the international rugby world, which once feared Australia at the administration table, laugh them off as patsies.
Then came the claim that Michael Cheika's coaching career hinged on the Italy performance. All that did was show how far Australian Rugby standards have slumped in recent times.
So it all depended on how a coach fared against a side that has won only three of its last 21 Tests. They have got to be kidding. Coaching futures used to depend on how you fared against teams that actually mattered - which in Cheika's case has, since the last World Cup, been pretty dismal.
Castle, trying to steer a runaway wagon, attempted to provide Cheika with her endorsement, saying that Australia got really, really close to Wales, and 'could have ended up with a win.'
Wow. Unfortunately the brutal fact is that they lost. This cannot be sugar-coated. Almost good enough is not good enough.
Onto Padua, and another flawed effort. The score-line indicates a seemingly conclusive victory. Not so. French referee Pascal Gauzere was as poor as many of the players, with numerous perplexing decisions.
Australia were granted a try which should have been disallowed because of a clear obstruction. Italy were disallowed one, which should have been awarded as the try-scorer was clearly onside. So Italy coach Conor O'Shea was well within his right to demand after the game that he wanted 'the same rules for everyone.'
There were admittedly some encouraging Australian moments. Samu Kerevi was assured at No 13; Taniela Tupou hustled and bustled all game; Adam Ashley-Cooper showed he still had some buzz in his 34-year-old legs; Jake Gordon distributed well in his first Test, and the Wallabies defence in the final 15 minutes showed off a bit of heart.
But elsewhere there were dilemmas. The ever inconsistent Wallabies midfield is still a basket-case. Bernard Foley is not a No 12. He appeared flustered, pushed too many passes, badly missed the target with some, and often drifted across field in attack. At least his positional kicking was reasonable.
Matt Toomua was better at fly-half, but his midfield kicking game was far from faultless. This area of the Wallabies game remains a major blot. It was dismal against Wales the previous weekend in Cardiff - with only eight of their 21 kicks in general play being effective. Kurtley Beale was the serial offender, with a one out of eight success rate.
Against Italy, with Beale benched, it improved marginally. This time around, the Wallabies kicked 18 times, and ten were effective. Toomua struggled, with six of his nine kicks ineffective. Too often, Australia's kicks are unnecessarily giving away possession. Oppositions know that - and wait to pounce.
Mistakes in the opposition quarter also continue as a disconcerting rate. Comfortable passes are dropped, and poor support leads to penalties being awarded against Australia at the breakdown. It all builds up. Also several important players like Israel Folau and Adam Coleman are just going through the motions.
The Wallabies camp pushed the message following this rare win that everyone was absolutely loving life. Captain Michael Hooper felt 'great.'
But seriously, if those in charge believe it's time for party hats, fairy floss and balloons because this victory is an indicator that Australian rugby is suddenly back on track, they are kidding themselves.
Then again Rugby Australia could run master-classes on being delusional.