The Wallabies believe they have provided a stirring response to their critics after making encouraging progress on their Spring tour - and they're already counting down the days to when they can prove they can seriously mix it with the British & Irish Lions.
Barely had the tour-finale 22-19 loss to Ireland been digested than both coaches, Australia's Joe Schmidt and the Lions' Andy Farrell, began banging the drum for what they believe will be a thrilling, competitive series in eight months' time - and not the calamity for the hosts so many doom-mongers had been predicting.
Asked if their performances on the grand slam tour, with two wins and two losses, would have answered their doubters, winger Andrew Kellaway, while admitting that the narrow loss to the Irish had really hurt, declared: "I certainly hope so.
