The Silver Ferns put on an impressive display to dispatch South Africa 61-37, just three days after a 52-39 loss against England.
There was a lot to like.
The intensity was high, the attack slick and the shooters clinical.
In contrast, South Africa looked a level below its opponent and was nervous early on.
After a rough year, a convincing win was welcomed, and will do wonders for the confidence of the Silver Ferns.
But it is not the same thing as doing it against Australia or England - and doing it against them consistently.
Maria Folau had her best shooting night in a long time, making 35/37, while Te Paea Selby-Rickit was equally impressive with 17/22.
They combined well, and Selby-Rickit threw several brilliant passes to an open Folau.
That was in contrast to Saturday, when Folau and Ameliaranne Ekenasio combined to shoot 32/48.
They were getting fed some good ball on Tuesday, too. Gina Crampton in particular was on top of her game on the circle edge.
But the reality is there was a lot less venom in the South African line-up than the
English possessed.
The best players and teams are the ones that can play well against the best opponents.
A strong performance against a team below your level and lacking the ability to apply scoreboard pressure means only so much.
The All Blacks are not judged on a resounding victory over Italy. It is the ones against the likes of the Springboks and England that provide the benchmark.
The same applies here.
That is not to say Tuesday was not progress. But as far as any claims this side has been turned around goes, it would be better to hold off.
Sunday will give a better indication of where this team is at.
Can the shooters still be so accurate against a physical defence that will put them under far more pressure?
Will the defence be able to contain the Australian shooting threats, notably Caitlin Bassett?
Is the midcourt going to be as effective when they are being hounded by a more relentless opposition?
Executing becomes that much harder in those circumstances.
And maybe they will be able to execute against Australia.
Noeline Taurua was never going to turn this team around in one game.
The performance against England was always going to be a starting point, rather than a reflection on the new regime.
Even a win over Australia on Sunday, while it would be fantastic, would not signal a complete turnaround.
The Silver Ferns won the same game last year, and then alarmingly spiralled into one of the worst periods in their history.
Being able to compete with the best consistently will be the true sign that this team is back.
