Just as the Wallabies were on the up and enjoying success on the pitch, they were struck once more by a horror injury curse with star fullback Tom Wright brought back to earth with an ACL injury within the opening minutes of the Wallabies 30-22 defeat to the Springboks last weekend.
Over the years Wright has moulded himself into one of the most exciting fullbacks in the game, constantly breaking games apart with his elite footwork, while his aerial game is world class. His absence is a hammer blow for the Wallabies ahead of, not just the Pumas, but two Bledisloe Cup Tests and their end of year tour which will play a crucial role in their rankings points and where they slot into World Cup pools, which will be drawn in November.
It leaves Joe Schmidt with the unenviable question of just who slots into the vacant No.15 jersey.
Wright has had a stranglehold on the jersey for several years now giving his teammates little opportunity to establish themselves as a solid replacement and it's come at a cost with no clear deputy ready to take on the role.
So who should Schmidt turn to for the remainder of the Rugby Championship and into the end of year tour?
We've listed the Wallabies' best options.
MAX JORGENSEN
Young gun Max Jorgensen has made no attempt at hiding his desire of wearing the No.15 jersey, telling reporters earlier in the year "definitely 15 is my preferred position", and with his incredible rise on the international stage so far in his career there's no doubt he'd set the world alight once more if given the space and vision that the fullback role allows. But with so much on the line, and with so many injury changes, is making another backline shift in Schmidt and the Wallabies' best interest?
Jorgensen has been incredible on the wing - despite his many injury setbacks - most recently setting the British & Irish Lions series alight with his remarkable try-scoring exploits before he played a key role in the Wallabies shock win over the Springboks in Johannesburg and helped push them all the way in their second clash in Cape Town.
His strength in the air is exemplary, often spotted ripping the ball clean out of his opponent's arms - his efforts to pick Lions fullback Hugo Keenan's pocket and run away for a try in the opening Test a highlight of the series - while he has speed to burn and his footwork is some of the best in world rugby as witnessed when he easily stepped Boks' Manie Libbok.
But with a Jorgensen switch to fullback comes also a second switch with a vacant wing role needing to be filled. For the short term, with a Rugby Championship title and Bledisloe Cup on the line, it would be in Schmidt's best interest to keep changes to a minimum.
Already the Wallabies have seen three fly-halves since their opening Test against Fiji this year, alongside two different starting halfbacks and two shifts on the wing. More changes could come at their detriment making leaving the 20-year-old on the wing the safest option. In the long term though, Jorgensen presents himself as a key linchpin for the Wallabies in the future making the end of year series the perfect time to give the young gun a run at fullback and make the role his own.
ANDREW KELLAWAY
The safest of Schmidt's options, Kellaway is a cool head under pressure bringing all the assets needed for the role. Strong under the high ball, smart with ball in hand and solid in defence, the 29-year-old has proven himself on the international stage and provides strong cover across the back three.
He presents a straight swap for Wright, meaning minimal disruptions for the remaining backline, but will have to step up his game following his less than stellar performances so far this year. His knock-on 15 metres from his own line in Cape Town let the Springboks right back into the competition, while he struggled to make an impact for the Waratahs through Super Rugby Pacific. It could mean Schmidt will look to keep him on the bench and roll the dice with Jorgensen and bring in yet another wing option in either Harry Potter or Filipo Daugunu.
Kellaway isn't unfamiliar with the position though and does remain a solid option for the short term if Schmidt chooses to play it safe and rely on his edge players Jorgensen and Corey Toole to bring the excitement on the edge. Given Argentina pummeled the All Blacks in the aerial battle in their win in Buenos Aires, it's an area the Wallabies will need to be secure in, and Kellaway remains the safest option.
JOSEPH-AUKUSO SUAALII
The Wallabies' most expensive man, Suaalii presents Schmidt a third option but is questionable for the short term given he was sidelined with a concussion in Cape Town and struggled to make the most of his starts in the No.15 jersey for the Waratahs earlier this year.
Still yet to fully claim a position as his own, the 21-year-old has been solid at outside centre, but has hardly set the world on fire with his appearances against the Lions and Springboks - an intercept try aside.
But given the space and time afforded to a player in fullback it opens up a great opportunity for Suallii to break open the game and spot the spaces to exploit. It also opens up the opportunity for Len Ikitau to switch back to his preferred outside centre position and rekindle his partnership with Hunter Paisami, it also means you get the best out of Toole and Jorgensen on the edges.
It certainly sets up and intriguing battle over the coming months with Ben Donaldson and Harry Potter both also presenting strong fullback options, though they appear at long odds given Donaldson has mostly played at No.10 under Schmidt and Hooper's appearances for the Wallabies have been on the wing.
With so much on the line, it's up to Schmidt to decide whether it's time to take a risk, or play it safe.