Some say that winning these tournaments might be showing your hand too early. However, now is the time to assert your authority and grab bragging rights heading into the most important event of the current Olympiad.

In winning the Thetis Cup, the fourth-ranked Aussie Stingers from Tokyo 2020, displayed excellent skills and mental acuity that allowed it to overcome some tough opponents with narrow margins.

Shift to a week later and the results were vastly different at the Waterpolo Cup in Rotterdam, with Spain smoking the opposition to take out the final 13-8 over Netherlands, a team it beat by a goal on day one.

What a difference a week can make as Australia played for third and lost to Italy 12-9 — a team it beat 9-7 on day one.

As Aussie Stingers head coach Rebecca Rippon said in Chalkida, teams will be stepping up in the coming weeks as they finalise their preparations “so winning here means nothing”.

Thetis Cup

In Chalkida, Australia tumbled Hungary 12-11, France 10-8, Greece 9-6 and Canada 12-8.

Hungary finished second with three victories —against France 9-7, Canada 11-8 and Greece 10-8. Greece defeated France 9-7 and Canada 15-13. Canada’s sole win was against winless France, 10-9.

These results show that there is still nothing between these teams and that on the day, anyone can win.

Waterpolo Cup

In Rotterdam, Spain showed its form is still on target for the medals in Paris, downing Netherlands 12-11, Italy 13-10 and France by a whopping 19-7 before winning the final rematch with Netherlands.

The Dutch parried France 17-12 and Australia 11-10 before the rematch with Spain. Australia bounced Italy 9-7, Greece 14-7 and bowed to Netherlands 11-10 before the turnaround loss to Italy for fourth place.

Italy had an 11-5 win over Greece before the bronze-medal win.

Australia’s extra-man attack figures were not good against Italy in the second match and this defensive work by Italy showed what it had learnt from the day-one encounter.

France, as in Athens, came away winless and could become a little dispirited by not being able to crack one of the top teams. However, by playing them and learning their tactics at close hand, will make for wonderful ammunition when it comes to playing in front of a nationalistic French crowd in home waters.

Californian clashes

Reigning champion United States of America will not find the Olympics easy as it shoots for a fourth consecutive crown, having lost to Hungary 10-8 at home earlier this month after an earlier 12-8 winning margin.

Italy visited California earlier and had two lessons dealt to it — losing 14-5 and 14-6.

Whatever route the top 10 women’s teams in the world take to Paris — the lessons learnt, the skills obtained, the information collected — they could all be thrown out the window as the pressure of the Olympic cauldron takes hold in a frantic two weeks of do-or-die water polo.