Australia vs Fiji - What we learnt, What we didn't

The Wallabies beat Fiji 28-13 to avoid a Springbok-like opening game calamity, but they failed to gain a four-try bonus point and if anything, the final score does not do justice to Fiji’s efforts.

1     David Pocock and Michael Hooper are individually potent and a dynamic duo. Along with everything else they did in the game, Hooper’s 22 tackles and Pocock’s 16 tackles tell a story. The only other Wallaby in double figures was Rob Horne with 10 tackles.

2     The Wallaby line-out driving maul is lethal.

3     Losing four line-outs on their own throw-in is disappointing. Stephen Moore’s accuracy was not what it should be. A wayward throw-in when the Wallabies were under pressure after Fiji had reduced the lead to 25-13 did not help.

4     Winning less than 50% possession and less than 50% territory against Fiji does not build confidence with England and Wales looming as pool opponents.

5     Israel Folau’s wonderful skill as a ball-carrier needs to be used more often. It doesn’t help to have an attacking genius at fullback if he isn’t brought into the game more.

6     The Wallabies are no wiser on first-choice 9 and 10 selection, with Will Genia clearly rusty and Bernard Foley no more than ordinary against Fiji. Playing against a weak Uruguay team on Sunday won’t provide an accurate way to assess whether Nick Phipps and Quade Cooper should be the preferred first-choice halves.

7     Tevita Kuridrani’s performance won’t have solved the outside centre selection issue for Michael Cheika, since he made errors and then got yellow-carded.

8     Matt Giteau is proving game after game that his recall from Test limbo in France was a wise move. With the Wallaby 9 and 10 and 13 nowhere near their best, and 11 and 14 and 15 not involved in the game nearly enough, Giteau’s astute rugby brain was again valuable.

9     Sydney-born, Sydney-educated, Waratahs-contracted Ben Volavola’s moments of magic at flyhalf for Fij – including a wonderful try – showed that Cheika may well have missed out by ignoring his talents at the Waratahs. The Crusaders may have found a gem by contracting Volavola for Super Rugby 2016.

10     Cheika and Moore’s dismissal of the importance of bonus pints could come back to haunt them in this toughest of qualifying pools.