The Wallabies survived a minor scare against 16th-ranked Samoa to record a 34-15 victory but the good news for the men in gold is David Pocock survived the first serious test of his calf to put him well and truly in the frame to play a major role at the World Cup.
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With his side trailing 22-3 at half-time, Samoa's reserve halfback Dwayne Polataivao crossed the paint twice in the space of nine minutes to get his side within a converted try and bring back memories of their incredible 32-23 victory over the Australians in 2011 just down the road at ANZ Stadium.
The wheels started to fall off for the Wallabies as the second half went on. Their scrum became unsteady and elementary errors, such as Tom Banks not finding touch, crept into a side that showed signs of panic.
A Dane Haylett-Petty five-pointer in the 71st minute helped avoid a major disaster for a second-string Wallabies side in front of a poor crowd of 16,091 at Bankwest Stadium.
It was imperative the Wallabies got through their final match before the World Cup unscathed and their chances of that happening were boosted by selectors' decision to pick only three starting players from the Eden Park Bledisloe Cup fixture - Adam Coleman, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto and Marika Koroibete - in the run-on XV.
Right up there on the boxes to tick off was whether Pocock's calf would hold up to the rigours of Test rugby after six months of arduous rehabilitation.
The stand-in Wallabies captain was in the thick of the action and certainly got his hands dirty, making four carries for 14 metres and eight tackles - the second-most of any Australian forward - before being taken off in the 59th minute.
What a sigh of relief that is for Australian fans two weeks out from the start of the World Cup.
"It's good to be out there," Pocock said. "It's a tough one and [there were] some really big hits. There's plenty to work on there. They put us under pressure and a couple of things at scrum-time we'll work on. I thought we showed some good stuff tonight and we'll leave tomorrow really excited to get over there."
Things were all going to plan before second-rower Coleman came from the field in the 56th minute with a thumb injury, the extent of which was unclear.
With the horror show that was Eden Park haunting them like a three-week hangover, Australia will depart for Japan on Sunday in much higher spirits even if their victory was against the 16th-ranked side in the world.
Australia had scored more than 29 points in only two of their previous 19 Tests, so don't underestimate the confidence that comes with piling on six tries.
The 19-point victory was scratchy but an ideal send-off for the likes of Pocock, Sekope Kepu, Will Genia and Tatafu Polota-Nau, who won't play another Test on home soil.
While the scrum deteriorated for the Australians as the match went on, they orchestrated six lineout steals from 15 attempts.
A knock-on from Tusi Pisi in the third minute set the tone for the visitors who despite some late momentum could not replicate their 2011 heroics.
After some early rust, the Wallabies got themselves on the scoreboard with a try to Coleman that started from an overthrown Samoan lineout. Pocock's final left-to-right pass was a bullet and executed to perfection.
Even more impressive was man-of-the-match Marika Koroibete's zigzagging run from 45 metres out that led to his ninth Test try and sent a reminder that Australia possess a slippery winger in their artillery with eye-catching speed.
Samoa asked questions of Australia's defence but could only come away with a penalty before Adam Ashley-Cooper (38) went outright third on the list of the Wallabies' top try-scorers ahead of Israel Folau (37) and behind David Campese (64) and Chris Latham (40).
The 35-year-old did his aspirations of featuring at the World Cup no harm with a sound showing but few others in a gold jersey banged the selection door down on Saturday night.
Samoa chalked up their first try of the evening in the 53rd minute when No.8 Amosa Afaesetiti sprinted down the blindside off the back of a scrum and handed a final pass to Polataivao, but despite a late charge the Pacific Island nation fell short.
Samoan halfback Scott Malolua, who is in the Queensland Reds squad, left the field in the first half with a dislocated shoulder which puts his World Cup in doubt.
AT A GLANCE
AUSTRALIA 34 (A Coleman, M Koroibete, A Ashley-Cooper, L Salakaia-Loto, D Haylett-Petty, M To'omua tries; B Foley 2 con) bt SAMOA 15 (D Polataivao 2 tries; T Pisi con; T Pisi pen).
- SMH/The Age
