As for the Waratahs, they looked rudderless. Captain Jake Gordon took the blame for that, acknowledging he and five-eighth Ben Donaldson were largely ineffective, which they were. It was the “clunkiness” of his side’s attack that most distressed Coleman. The Tahs looked like a beginner driver back in the days of clutch and gear shifts, kangarooing down the street.

Max Jorgensen is too young to know better, so he’s taking whatever comes as pretty much normal. The 18-year-old NSW fullback’s try against the Hurricanes will be remembered as one of the most improbable in the side’s history. He should have been bundled into touch by a posse of Canes heavy hitters, yet slow-motion replays showed him scoring with relative ease.

There are, inevitably, gaps in the Brumbies line-up. Jorgensen is one of the “outsiders” who will help the Wallabies plug them. Langi Gleeson is another, although if he is serious about entering the Test reckoning at No.8, he needs to start showing some lineout skills, especially if Eddie Jones goes for a toiler like Jed Holloway to partner Nick Frost in his second row.

The pleasant surprises, among non-Brumbies players pressing for consideration, have come from the Melbourne Rebels.

Carter Gordon still needs to square his shoulders to present more as a running threat but so crisp is his passing that Jones must be entertaining thoughts of getting a full 80 minutes of Quade Cooper-like direction from the 10 jersey. His development this year has been extraordinary.

The other is breakaway Brad Wilkin, a product of Iona College in Brisbane. He arguably has his nose in front of both Michael Hooper and Fraser McReight for the No.7 jersey. That’s no small thing in a World Cup year.

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Wherever the Wallabies squad is drawn from, keep this in mind. Australia pushed the top two sides in the world, Ireland and France, to the limit on the spring tour, losing to Ireland by three and by a solitary point to Les Bleus. That’s closer than any other Six Nations teams came.

History has shown continuity of selection is critical to World Cup success. For that reason, Jones might find himself spending more and more time in Canberra.