Australia (10) 24
Tries: Bostock 3, Trbojevic, Walsh Goals: Walsh 2
New Zealand (10) 22
Tries: McLean, Ponga 2 Goals: Isaako 3 Penalties: Isaako 2
Opening games of World Cups can often be cautious and reserved non-events. Someone forgot to tell Australia and New Zealand.
This was as good as this sport gets. As good as any sport gets.
These two old foes traded blows – in every sense – for 80 pulsating minutes in a game of staggering skill, brutal intensity and relentless drama.
New Zealand’s formidable pack served up a mauling to Australia’s forwards for the majority of this opening match of the 2026 Rugby League World Cup but the defending champions did what champions do and somehow chiselled out a victory.
This was scintillating international rugby league, with more than 40,000 fans – the biggest Test match crowd in Sydney for 50 years – witnessing the ultimate smash-and-grab victory by Kevin Walters’ side.
Casey McLean’s stunning early try gave New Zealand the impetus and they were on top until the final five minutes, when Jack Bostock marked a stunning Kangaroos debut with his third try to decide an epic match.
The Kangaroos were 6-0, 16-10 and 22-16 down – with the Kiwis pounding their line to go another score ahead – but late tries from Reece Walsh and then Bostock turned the match around.
Bostock’s dream debut – which included one interception try and two by winning aerial battles to claim spiralling Cameron Munster kicks – was one of many fascinating sub plots.
Kalyn Ponga’s match-up against his Australia counterpart Walsh, arguably the sport’s biggest star, was another.
The Kiwi full-back scored twice and looked to be coming out on top in their personal battle until Walsh conjured up a superb long-range try to lay the platform for the Kangaroos’ last-gasp triumph.
Ponga left the field injured with a suspected broken arm prior to Munster and Bostock reprising their up-and-under show with less than five minutes on the clock and had his left arm in a sling at full time.
Quite how new Queensland coach Darius Boyd selects between the star duo at Origin level next year is anyone’s guess. How do you separate arguably the two best full-backs in the game?
While Walsh’s superb tackle on Ponga prevented a try in the first-half, the Newcastle Knights man replied by dancing past his Australia counterpart on his way to the second of his tries.
But back came Walsh, delivering a stunning attacking riposte of his own eight minutes later to bring Australia to within two points at 20-22.
Ponga had been the beneficiary of New Zealand’s powerhouse pack getting on the front foot for the majority of the match.
As a result, the dash and swagger exhibited by Australia in their Ashes triumph of 12 months ago was largely replaced through necessity by a staunch defence of their line.
Yet somehow, largely thanks to two errant New Zealand passes that allowed Bostock and Tom Trbojevic to race unopposed from distance to score – they were level at 10-10 at the break having been comprehensively outplayed.
When Trobojevic scored, only 18% of the game was played in New Zealand territory.
The second half followed a similar script and as a result this will be a result New Zealand will find hard to stomach.
It was a game for the ages and while England and other side will hope to have their say, many will expect Australia will have to repeat this performance against New Zealand in the final on 15 November if they are to lift the trophy for a 13th time.