Two weeks ago the Reds beat the Blues in a Super Rugby match. On Sunday night they beat the Crusaders in Hong Kong part II.
Even the finish was the same. As the second most influential man in the game (Richie McCaw) stood glaring at the third most influential (Stu Dickinson), the most influential man (Will Genia) gave him a friendly tap on the chest. It exactly wasn't exactly Quade Cooper's boorish shove, but the message was the same. "Well done mate, you've had your days, but now history is on our side."
Put simply, when these young Wallabies - led by Genia and Cooper - play at their optimum, they no longer think that New Zealand's finest can beat them.
Queensland won the game because they reacted best to the adversity these sort of high-intensity games throw up. (And while this column will mention a few key refereeing decisions/non-decisions it won't be an exhaustive critique, as enough ink has already been spilt on something that is self-evident - that whistleblowers sometimes get things wrong).
They overcame the fact that their scrum was buckled from the first encounter to almost the last. They survived the fact that their lineout was inferior. They ignored their goalkicker's off night in front of the sticks. And they managed to win despite entering a kicking duel with the best No.10 in the world in the second half and coming off second best.
The championship minutes from the 75th minute onwards illustrated their immense self-belief - and fitness. From a lineout about 25 metres out from their own line, they quickly went wide with a Cooper long ball to Luke Morahan. Brent Ward came off his wing and hit the youngster so hard his mouthguard flew out, but he still managed to throw the ball backwards to support. Over the next five phases and 60 seconds the Crusaders tore into their defensive work, keeping the Reds on the advantage line and forcing the first missed knock-on in the movement from Rob Simmons, who lost the ball forward on the ground but quickly dragged it to the back of the ruck.
Digby Ioane and, crucially, Scott Higginbotham - who smashed doubts raised here last week about his Test-readiness - created some priceless momentum. Then, with another burst that led to the second knock on, Ioane began to expose some raggedness around the Crusaders fringes (more of this later in the New Zealand analysis) before Genia found the tireless Anthony Fainga'a (with a pass that was flat at best) for the crucial break.
From there, the Reds had support runners offering themselves everywhere, Ben Tapuai linking with James Slipper in the midfield before Slipper, again, set up the ruck that led to the matchwinning penalty.
Discard the controversy of that penalty for a moment, this was the vision that Robbie Deans had for Australia rugby - so expertly carried on at Super level by Ewen McKenzie - when he accepted the job three years ago. Opposition defences being stressed at different points by backs with pace and agility, forwards who can continue the movement with hard shoulders and soft hands - and all the while being conducted by the little general at the heart of it, a picture of calm in the cauldron.
If you can produce that formula, tries - and penalties of all descriptions - will come.
Deans had indicated last week at a function that there would be lessons from this game. And then some.
First, Fainga'a is offering himself as the hard-running, low-tackling midfielder to sit on Cooper's shoulder at Test level, when it is less likely Cooper will be allowed to float at No.15 in defence.
Second, Radike Samo is a genuine option at No.8 if Wycliff Palu's injuries fail to clear up.
Third, the ambitious game plan epitomised by Cooper's audacious touches and encouraged by Deans is the best way for the Wallabies to win the Cup.
Fourth, McKenzie offers a wealth of coaching knowledge and man management that might be too valuable to leave outside the circle come World Cup time. There would be obvious hurdles to overcome before that became even a possibility, but if you're putting Australia's best coaching minds in a room, McKenzie is at that meeting.
Fifth, Genia's inventiveness from the base of the scrum shows a beaten set-piece is not fatal.
Lastly, the Wallabies are right in this World Cup up to their necks - and have been for some time.
Aside from Sunday's spectacle and the Hong Kong thriller, it is valuable to remember that they had the winning of the Sydney Test against the All Blacks in September until a try from a contested scrum changed the momentum. The beneficiary that night was a certain R McCaw.
Far from the Suncorp buzz and with much less publicity than Dickinson and McCaw's disagreement, another well-known referee was taking a dim view of the technique of a highly regarded Test player, although on this occasion the news was less enjoyable for Wallabies fans.
On two crucial occasions at the scrum, Jonathan Kaplan penalised Benn Robinson for driving in at an angle, handing the Sharks momentum which at this stage of the season decides games. The confused look on Robinson's face said it all. It was possible to detect that he wasn't entirely square, but it wasn't Martin Castrogiovanni stuff.
If there are certain perceptions entertained by referees about the other Australian front rowers, Wallabies fans will be praying they don't spread to the Waratahs loose-head.
) and the incidents that change the game. 
