Key events
21m ago
Full-time: Australia 24-22 New Zealand
25m ago
TRY! Australia 24-22 New Zealand (Bostock, 76)
34m ago
TRY! Australia 20-22 New Zealand (Walsh, 69)
44m ago
CONVERTED TRY! Australia 16-22 New Zealand (Ponga, 60)
48m ago
CONVERTED TRY! Australia 16-16 New Zealand (Bostock, 58)
1h ago
CONVERTED TRY! Australia 10-16 New Zealand (Ponga, 47)
1h ago
Half-time: Australia 10-10 New Zealand
1h ago
Penalty! Australia 10-10 New Zealand (Isaako, 39)
1h ago
Yellow Card! (Kotoni Staggs, 37)
2h ago
CONVERTED TRY! Australia 10-8 New Zealand (Trbojevic, 31)
2h ago
Penalty! Australia 4-8 New Zealand (Isaako, 25)
2h ago
TRY! Australia 4-6 New Zealand (Bostock, 20)
2h ago
TRY! Australia 0-6 New Zealand (McLean, 5)
2h ago
Kick-off!
3h ago
New Zealand XIII
3h ago
Australia XIII
3h ago
Preamble
New Zealand will be disappointed to lose but their performance level was sufficient to win that match nine times out of ten. They probably would have won tonight if Hughes had not overcooked his kick on the last with five minutes to go.
If this is the final pairing in a month’s time the Kiwis will head to Brisbane with plenty of confidence, especially after the way James Fisher-Harris, Joseph Tapine, Moses Leota and co dominated up front.
Their greater concern coming out of the night will be the fitness of Kalyn Ponga. He is their focal point and game breaker. If he is out for an extended period he cannot be replaced like-for-like, it will require a reshuffle that could unsettle the balance of the side.
The Kangaroos were far from vintage. The forward pack was soundly beaten, Harry Grant was off key, Latrell Mitchell was barely involved, and it required the calf injury to Mitchell Moses and the introduction of the dynamic Tom Dearden to bring some energy to the halves.
The defensive effort was heroic though, keeping New Zealand at bay for long spells. And then they struck clinically when opportunities presented themselves. Two intercept breakaway tries and the Reece Walsh solo stunner cannot be legislated for.
Kalyn Ponga is walking around in a sling. He clearly damaged something when he collided with Cam Munster in the second half. He played on, scored a mind blowing try, but eventually succumbed to the injury shortly before time. Hopefully for him and NEw Zealand he isn’t ruled out of the tournament.
“This should be the final, what a game,” emails Ashley Baxter. “I’ve not watched rugby league for a long time after being brought up on it but moving to Wales my focus became Union. But this game is sensational.”
It still may well be the final, Ashley. What tonight’s result means (other than bragging rights) is the Kiwis will have the more difficult of the semi-finals.
Jack Bostock, with three tries on Test debut, is named the player of the match.
Jack Bostock celebrates after scoring three tries on Test debut for Australia. Photograph: Matt King/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 07.12 EDT
“That’s Test footy,” bemoans James Fisher-Harris, “a few big moments went their way.”
“It was a hell of a battle out there,” remarks the understated Isaah Yeo.
The two exhausted groups of players embrace. They all know they’ve played their part in a classic. They also know it’s only the opening round of a tournament that could well see them meet again in a month’s time to determine the world cup winners.
What a contest. What an opening match. What a victory. That was outstanding from start to finish.
ShareFull-time: Australia 24-22 New Zealand
The Kangaroos win! I don’t know how, but Australia have beaten New Zealand in Sydney.
Australia players celebrate after their win in the opening game of the Rugby League World Cup against New Zealand. Photograph: Mark Baker/APShare
Updated at 07.09 EDT
80 mins: Australia run the ball downfield, accepting contact on the last. New Zealand have 45 seconds and 80m to travel.
78 mins: Dearden accepts contact on the last near the 10m line in the right corner. What can New Zealand do? They spend three tackles just getting to the 30m line. McLean shows some spark to take them to halfway. Kini gains 20 more metres – gets up to play the ball – and there’s nobody behind him! Preston leaps on the loose pill and the Kiwis are crestfallen!
77 mins: New Zealand attempt a short kick-off but Trbojevic wins the ball in the air. The Kiwis will only get a couple of sets to snatch something.
ShareTRY! Australia 24-22 New Zealand (Bostock, 76)
The Kangaroos grind to halfway but again rely on Dearden to engineer some space. Munster profits, and on the last he stops, cocks, and lobs that same wedge to the left corner. Isaako leaps in black. Bostock climbs in green. The two No 2s. Dolphin on Dolphin. Both get hands on the ball in the air. Both come down wrestling for control. AND IT’S BOSTOCK WHO WINS THE BATTLE! He has a hat-trick! Australia are ahead!
Walsh has enough energy to attempt this conversion – but he strikes the post! The Kiwis remain within a kick!
Jack Bostock scores a try. Photograph: Mark Evans/AAPShare
Updated at 07.11 EDT
75 mins: The Kiwis execute the squeeze until tackle five when Nikora then Nikorima make darts. On the last Hughes makes a massive error – overhitting his kick and allowing Bostock to mark in-foal for a seven tackle set!
74 mins: The Kiwis are not putting their cues in the rack. Gagai snipes dangerously from dummy-half, Nikorima shows quick feet, and the kick on the last is recovered – off green hands! A full set in the red zone for New Zealand.
73 mins: Australia make 30m in four tackles then the game-changing Dearden almost feeds Cotter through the line. New Zealand resist the surge and accept the deep kick.
72 mins: Australia handle the restart set and kick to the newcomer Kini who gets onto the stats sheet. The Kiwis complete the set and hughes kicks deep to Walsh, pinning the Kangaroos on their own line.
70 mins: Ponga finally succumbs to his injury. He’s played his part but the final 10 minutes will take place without him.
ShareTRY! Australia 20-22 New Zealand (Walsh, 69)
REECE WALSH! Rugby league we do not deserve you! What a match. What a moment. In their own red zone Australia try to run the ball out. Bostock dints the line, finds room to offload, and Walsh is there travelling 100mph to smash into hyperdrive in open field. Hughes and Ponga move in to corral but Walsh looks at his opposite fullback and says ‘anything you can do I can do better’, sliding laterally out of danger, forcing the two Kiwis to collide. With the corner in sight and Tapine chasing, the crowd is on its feet as the brilliant fullback completes the latest outrageous try of an exhilarating night.
Can Walsh add the extras to level the score? He won’t even take the conversion! He’s on his haunches, vomiting. Mitchell will take the shot instead – and he’s narrowly wide!
Reece Walsh breaks clear of two tacklers to score a try. Photograph: Mark Evans/AAPShare
Updated at 06.54 EDT
68 mins: Ponga winces in pain as he’s dumped by Tino. Leota hammers Munster as he kicks. Mulitalo bulldozes Staggs. There’s little ball-playing to report but this physical phase of the contest remains engrossing.
66 mins: Ponga is proppy, Trbojevic isn’t 100%, this is becoming attritional as both sides try to find a way to carry the ball out of their own halves but to little avail.
64 mins: Both teams exchange sets as fatigue begins to set in. The pitch is cutting up badly. Who has the composure?
62 mins: Sloppy from the Kiwis with the restart set and Australia are immediately on the counterattack. Munster, Dearden, there’s a hole for Walsh – he sprints into it – Hughes grabs the ankles, Gagai comes across, but Walsh wriggles over the line… in what is the most obvious double movement you could design. This match has had everything. So entertaining.
ShareCONVERTED TRY! Australia 16-22 New Zealand (Ponga, 60)
The 2026 World Cup is on fire! New Zealand’s forwards punch their way downfield just like the first half, setting up Ponga to sidestep Munster on the right edge. The Storm five-eighth grabs the Kiwi’s shorts but only enough to dack him, not bring him to ground. With his underwear on display Ponga accelerates into the open space and stares down Walsh for a second time. On this occasion he shimmies like a tango master, wrongfooting his direct opponent, giving him enough leverage to wind around the outside and curl back under the posts. What a moment of individual brilliance. Isaako continues his perfect night off the tee.
Kalyn Ponga celebrates after scoring a try for New Zealand. Photograph: Mark Baker/APShare
Updated at 06.43 EDT
60 mins: If scores are level after 80 minutes we will play Golden Point, so expect some field goal attempts before the night is through.
ShareCONVERTED TRY! Australia 16-16 New Zealand (Bostock, 58)
Bostock has two! With good field position Australia can set something up, but Grant slows the play down with a poor run from dummy-half. Nonetheless, Munster still has time to lob a wedge to the left corner that is centimetre perfect for the onrushing Bostock to mark at full stretch at high speed. He rides the mid-air collision and touches down on his return to earth. Walsh nails the conversion from near the left touchline, and within a minute we’ve gone from 10-20 to 16-16!
Jack Bostock scores a try for Australia. Photograph: Matt King/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 06.39 EDT
56 mins: New Zealand don’t just survive – they thrive! Hughes’ kick on the last is a mongrel punt, it carries barely 20m before nosediving out of the sky and bobbling in Tom Trbojevic’s direction. The Manly man slides to gather, fails to do so, and the ball dribbles underneath him. The black chase is on him in a flash, the ball is extracted, thrown wide to Mulitalo on the left wing, and he has the speed to make the left corner!
But hang on … the TMO is getting involved again. Papali’i was offside in the chase, and impacted play. No try! Huge let off for Trbojevic.
Ronaldo Mulitalo crosses for a disallowed try in Sydney. Photograph: Mark Baker/APShare
Updated at 06.42 EDT
55 mins: Australia build inside 30. The left edge is favoured with Mitchell then Walsh engaged. Grant looks sharper as he controls the pace, turning now to his right and Martin – who fails to spot Staggs on his outside. New Zealand survive.
54 mins: Australia are building! Willison loses possesion after the impressive Dearden came in second man. Behind play Ponga is struggling with a painful forearm, presumably caused by Munster’s bonce.
53 mins: Australia pack a scrum 20m out in the middle of an Allianz Stadium that’s starting to cut up. To prove the point Walsh slips on the right edge and the set play comes to nought. The Kangaroos go back to the right and almost find a way through, then they switch to the left, Munster almost breaks the line but he’s stopped unceremoniously by Ponga – but that looked ugly. Australia play on – and Dearden feeds Martin over, but the big Panther is held up on his back! Still the Kangaroos come, Mitchell inserts himself into the fray, there’s a bomb on the last, bodies go up, the ball comes down, and Walsh touches down! Is that a try? Adam Gee doesn’t think so. He adjudges Papali’i marked the ball above his head in-goal, and the TMO confirms. That is magnificent refereeing.
Reece Walsh celebrates what soon becomes a disallowed try for Australia. Photograph: Cameron Spencer/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 06.29 EDT
52 mins: Dearden almost makes something happen with a lovely show and go into the line. From the play the ball the kick goes up, Isaako knocks on in the air and Australia have attacking ball for the first time this half. New Zealand call for a captain’s challenge but the TMO takes little time confirming the on-field call.
50 mins: Tom Dearden is Mitch Moses’ replacement, by the way. The Queenslander has plenty of representative experience and he will need to find something to change the balance of power with his side up against it.
The official attendance is 41,255 at Allianz Stadium. Photograph: Cameron Spencer/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 06.51 EDT
48 mins: The try was scored in exactly the space vacated by the sin-binned Staggs. The Broncos centre is now back in the defensive line.
ShareCONVERTED TRY! Australia 10-16 New Zealand (Ponga, 47)
Another Australian set offers little. Ponga chances his arm running the ball back, sidestepping into a tackle then offloading to the dangerous left with Mulitalo and McLean dovetailing. Another attack brews like a menacing black wave on the horizon. The shift is to the right – the ball goes to ground – and there’s a penalty for offside. The two points are declined this time with New Zealand desperate to make the man advantage count. They try to run from 15m out. Willison is busy, Hughes engages the line, Papali’i accepts the tackle, spins, offloads, and Ponga is in support to crash over! Finally! Finally the Kiwis make the man advantage count.
Isaako extends the lead to six points.
Kalyn Ponga scores a try as he is tackled by Reece Walsh. Photograph: Mark Baker/APShare
Updated at 06.22 EDT
44 mins: Australia go nowhere coming out of defence and with play stretched the Kiwis look set to exploit 13 v 12. There’s a linebreak, space and spee don the left, but McLean hurls an awful Hollywood pass infield that never looks like finding a teammate. The black jerseys get another shot, there’s a set restart, Ponga lines up on the left edge, the ball goes his way on tackle four, but Australia’s defence holds firm. On the last the Kiwis lose composure, it all becomes harum scarum until a harmless kick is mopped up by Trbojevic. It has been desperate and resolute defence from the hosts. It’s needed to be.
42 mins: New Zealand cross halfway by tackle four and try to find room for Mulitalo on the left but there are bodies around to smother. Hughes kicks on the last – it’s allowed to bounce – but it bobbles favourably for Australia. However, behind play Mitch MOses looks done for the night – and possibly the tournament – with a calf injury.
41 mins: The second half is under way. Remember, Australia are down to 12 for the next seven minutes.
The worry before kick-off was the power of the Kiwi pack would deny Australia territory or front-foot ball, and that is exactly how the opening half played out. To compound matters for the Kangaroos key players have struggled, Grant especially, with the men in green looking rusty and disjointed.
If New Zealand don’t see this home they will consider this a massive opportunity lost.
ShareHalf-time: Australia 10-10 New Zealand
It’s been all New Zealand but 12-man Australia somehow head to the sheds level.
Australia and New Zealand are even at half-time in the opening game of the 2026 Rugby League World Cup. Photograph: Saeed Khan/AFP/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 06.05 EDT
Penalty! Australia 10-10 New Zealand (Isaako, 39)
The Kiwis accept the gimme two points to level the scores. New Zealand have been well on top 13 v 13, can they capitalise on 13 v 12?
ShareYellow Card! (Kotoni Staggs, 37)
From hero to zero, Walsh coughs up possession coming out of defence. New Zealand are quickly into their running, Hughes dabs a grubber through, Nikorima is favourite to win the race – but he’s bodychecked out of the way by Staggs! Is that a penalty try? It’s definitely a sin-binning. The Bunker decides the ball was heading near enough to the covering Trbojevic for it not to be a nailed on score, but Staggs has to take a breather regardless.
Kotoni Staggs is sent to the sin bin. Photograph: Cameron Spencer/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 06.04 EDT
36 mins: The Kiwis don’t just escape they go within inches of scoring themselves! Space opens up on the left for Ponga to dart through with speed and strong hips, he dashes into open field, there’s only Walsh ahead of him, does he turn infield and reset? Does he go for the outside? He chooses the latter! Mano a mano, tête-à-tête No 1 v No 1, this is thrilling! The corner is within touching distance – and Walsh nails the tackle! What a win that is for Australia! And Walsh loves it! Magnificent one on one footy.
Updated at 05.57 EDT
35 mins: Is that another ridiculous try? No! On tackle four Australia go through hands to the left, Mitchell finds an outrageous offload, the ball comes infield, Munster plays eyes up, drawing the defensive line his way then jabbing a kick with the outside of his left boot that Staggs looks to have touched down in a three-way race – but he can’t ground cleanly and New Zealand escape.
Kotoni Staggs attempts to score a try. Photograph: Cameron Spencer/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 05.58 EDT
33 mins: Now Nikora goes in too high on Murray and Australia get an early penalty in their restart set.
ShareCONVERTED TRY! Australia 10-8 New Zealand (Trbojevic, 31)
Again! They’ve done it again! This time on the left! New Zealand set up with numbers, go through hands, create the overlap, it seems a certain score, but this time Trbojevic times his jump out of the line to perfection to mug McLean and streak 90 metres for the second jaw-dropping intercept try of the night. Wow! New Zealand are absolutely bossing this but Walsh has an opportunity to kick the hosts ahead … which he takes!
Tom Trbojevic makes a break to score a try for the Kangaroos against the Kiwis. Photograph: Matt King/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 05.55 EDT
30 mins: Another line drop-out! New Zealand go through the gears in attack, set up for a switch to the right, Nikorima intervenes, drops the ball on his boot and dabs it into the upright forcing the retreating Australian defence to concede. How are the Kangaroos still in touch?
Updated at 05.59 EDT
28 mins: BOSH! Mulitalo irons out Staggs as he tries to offload to Trbojevic on his outside. The outcome is a knock-on and the most bombastic of celebrations from one of rugby league’s shy and retiring types.
27 mins: Leota, Fisher-Harris, Papali’i, Whyte… the Kiwi forwards are dominating this half. Their power is allowing Hughes an opportunity to launch dangerous bombs every set and Australia are struggling up front to hold ground and down back to deal with the aggressive chase.