In the aftermath of Australia's 45-20 win over Argentina in Canberra, Cheika was one happy man with a weight lifted off his shoulders following a Rugby Championship campaign that had not gone the Wallabies' way until Saturday.

Players will take a few days off before coming together in Sydney on Saturday to fly out for a two-week tour of South Africa and Argentina.

Cheika expects to take roughly 31 players on the tour and is hopeful of getting Hunt back in his possession post ankle surgery.

Hunt was a standout for the Wallabies in the June Tests at No.12 but has played no football since the Queensland Reds' final match of the Super Rugby season on July 14.

He is targeting to play an NRC match with Brisbane City next weekend and Cheika will be watching and crossing his fingers to see if the NRL and AFL convert can get back in time for Australia's follow-up Test against the Pumas on October 7 (October 8 AEST).

"We need him to have a game," Cheika said. "We're eager for him to back in sooner rather than later. Another player that has got good chat, he's been in the big game situations. He can only be a benefit.

"So we might see how he goes in that first NRC game and then we'll decide whether he would maybe meet us in Argentina or maybe another one before the last Bledisloe [Cup match]."

Asked if there would be room for Hunt in a starting XV, given how well Beale was playing at inside-centre, Cheika replied: "For sure. We'll work it out somehow. We'll make the numbers work. With Dane [Haylett-Petty] now being absent, there's some options opening up in the back field. Marika [Koroiebete] played well, [Reece] Hodge was outstanding."

Australia's six tries to two demolition was the culmination of a few near misses and is proof they are heading on the right track.

For context, however, Argentina are ranked tenth in the world and the Wallabies need not get too far ahead of themselves following a first half where they missed cleanout targets and coughed up too much ball.

There were positive signs, particularly at the scrum and some key back line combinations, but Cheika is reserving praise and ensuring standards remain high.

"There's a bit to go ??? we want to be a better team than we were in '15," Cheika said. "Obviously a lot of new faces and there's still a bit more time to give those guys the experience they need because when it comes to the big games, that's what you need.

"It's really clear what's happening with the team."

At half-time and unhappy with the team's lack of urgency, Cheika noticed something he had not seen before with this post World Cup Wallabies team.

Instead of a classic Cheika spray putting players into line, senior figures took control and outlined what needed to happen before the Wallabies piled on 35 second half points.

"That was another step forward because players were very vocal in there about turning the attitude around even though the scoreline wasn't huge," Cheika said. "It wasn't [captain Michael] Hooper at the start, it was a few others. Hooper came into the back of it. When it comes from them they realise it and they own it."

The last time the Wallabies played in South Africa they were beaten 18-10 in Pretoria.

At the time, Cheika believed they did not take their opportunities and argued his men controlled the game for the most part.

With another game at altitude in Bloemfontein, the conditioning Cheika put his players through last month and in the June series should hold them in good stead.

He believes the rewards from hard work are coming, even if there are still conditioning improvements to be made.

"We copped a lot of flak there [in June] ??? because we took a bit of a risk that we were doing the work under our legs to get going," Cheika said. "I still think we can get fitter in that area but it's probably going to have to wait until another pre-season because we're in the middle of the season."