1. Is this the weakest Australian conference since expansion?

The whining out of Auckland about Michael Cheika has become so overwrought it has obscured its original (and valid) point, but there is a more obvious stick with which to whack Australian rugby should the Kiwis look. We flagged some concerns a few weeks ago about the poor results against New Zealand and South African teams. At that point, the winning percentage was 18 per cent and after a horror weekend you can shave another few percentage points off that. Michael Cheika is sceptical of the results' relevance for the Wallabies, which may be fair enough, but Australian rugby can barely afford its franchises to be going backwards. The standard of back play is the area of greatest concern. Try assembling a Wallabies back three at the minute – especially if Israel Folau has been shifted to No.13. There are bits and pieces from all the contenders, but nothing yet of the required substance, nor any bright new things on the horizon to offer some cheer.

2. The Waratahs' poorest performance for two years.

NSW fans with good memories might have got painful flashes of deja vu in the final 20 minutes of the Stormers defeat – the narrow attack, poor handling, slow ball and apparent determination to run at brick walls all harked back to the era before Michael Cheika. Cheika alluded to the problem in his post-match interview – the Waratahs were dragged into a contest of the Stormers' suiting. What made it particularly galling was that the Chiefs, Highlanders and Hurricanes had all recently supplied the blueprint to beat the Stormers – go around them and not through them. And despite having joy in wider channels early when Israel Folau set up Taqele Naiyaravoro, the Waratahs got bogged down in the sort of hand-to-hand combat the magnificent Schalk Burger and Eben Etzebeth can excel at all day long.

3. Brumbies get the balance wrong.