After a long, arduous year, Wallaroos coach Jo Yapp and her players were rewarded for their patience and perseverance with three straight wins and their first ever piece of major silverware -- the WXV2 title.
Claiming just their second win of the year in the WXV opener against Wales three weeks ago, young fly-half Faitala Moleka labelled the victory a "long time coming for the team" after they suffered through six crushing defeats across a five-month period. Two weeks on, Australia lifted the WXV2 trophy and sounded a warning to the rest of the world ahead of next year's World Cup.
When new coach Yapp started earlier in the year, she had less than two weeks with her players ahead of their opening Test against Canada. Fast forward through the Pacific Four series, a Fiji Test and subsequent Laurie O'Reilly Cup, the Wallaroos were 1-4, including a humiliating 62-0 whitewash against the Black Ferns in Brisbane.
Add another two losses against Ireland and Wales in their mini-British Isles tour, Australia arrived in South Africa on a three-match losing streak with a cumulative 95-point deficit. But that final defeat would also prove the turning point for the squad.
Staring down what could have been a humiliating winless tour, the Wallaroos instead proved the doubters wrong and repaid the faith of Yapp, who remained patient with her troops.
"Exceptionally proud of everyone... everyone's worked exceptionally hard since January," Yapp said after the team's 31-22 win over Scotland. "We've learned and developed as a group so much over the last six months.
"The group never questioned things, they just pulled together, although we weren't getting the results on field early on, no one questioned that, they could see the growth we were still making in certain areas of our game and off field and that meant we managed to get these three wins in this comp."
Striking the perfect balance between youth and experience, Yapp was able to finally pin down her team of the future, with young stars Faitala Moleka, Caitlyn Halse and Tabua Tuinakauvadra proving themselves mainstays into next year's World Cup, while the experience of Ash Marsters, Maya Stewart, Cecilia Smith and Eva Karpani added the polish.
Youngster Moleka proved masterful in her display at fly-half after her late call-up to the starting side for their WXV2 opener. It came just a week after she struggled against Wales. But at just 19 years of age, and with 16 caps already to her name, Moleka impressed in each of her three WXV Tests; the playmaker producing neat moments of gold including a deft chip kick for Smith's try against Scotland, while she scored a try of her own against Wales.
Halse and No. 8 Tuinakauvadra have also nailed down their places with the back-rower at her rampaging best through the tournament, while at just 22-year-old Desiree Miller has become one of Australia's most prolific try-scorers, only bettered by fellow wing Maya Stewart who should find herself a contender for World Rugby Player of the Year.
Marsters continued her impressive international form, scoring the match-winning, title-clinching try in the same match she became the most capped Wallaroo of all time, while prop Karpani rediscovered her best form with several barnstorming runs as she played huge minutes, including a 77-minute showing against Scotland.
But it was Smith who made the most of her chances starting at inside centre, producing several cutting runs, punching the gaps and linking well with Moleka and her wings, the Force-bound midfielder making herself one of the most outstanding players across the tournament and solidifying her place in the starting 15. The only mark against her was when she dropped the ball over the line in what should have been the try of the tournament against the Boks.
Despite Australia's wins there remains plenty still to work on. Discipline continues to be an issue with Siokapesi Palu handed a yellow card in their win over Scotland, while Atasi Lafai visited the sin-bin against South Africa. They also failed to find their kill factor, allowing both the Springboks and Scotland back into the game, despite dominating throughout both matches.
The Wallaroos' breakdown, too, still requires work, with players regularly found isolated and their support players blasted off the ball on many occasions. But with former captain Piper Duck and one of Australia's best fetchers Emily Chancellor sidelined through injury, Australia's back-row has some top talent to return.
Add too the several Australian sevens players who have sounded their interest in earning a place for next year's World Cup including Charlotte Caslick, Sharni Smale, and Teagan and Maddi Levi, the depth within the squad is continually growing, while Yapp's vision beyond 2025 has seen 17-year-old Ruby Anderson and 16-year-old Waiaria Ellis join the Wallaroos on tour and experience topflight rugby from the sideline.
With their first trophy in Rugby Australia's cabinet, Wallaroos scrum-half Layne Morgan sounded a warning: "Next year, we're coming for you, everyone. Let's go!"