The Kangaroos survived a fierce New Zealand fightback to take the first honours of the tournament. The Kiwis dominated the early exchanges, with their pack laying the platform and creating space for their outside backs, but Australia held on for a two-point victory.
Jack Bostock, starting on the wing for Australia, became an instant World Cup headline act with three tries on debut. The pick of the night's moments came in the battle between Reece Walsh and Kalyn Ponga. Ponga skipped past Cameron Munster and beat Walsh for a breathtaking try on the hour mark. Walsh responded in kind, making Ponga and Jahrome Hughes miss simultaneously before running almost the length of the field to score. He also denied Ponga a certain first-half try with a try-saving play.
Australia coach Kevin Walters had defended his decision to pick Walsh ahead of Roosters grand final hero James Tedesco for the opening game, and Walsh's performance vindicated the call. However, the night was clouded when Ponga left the field with just over 10 minutes remaining, with reports in TV commentary suggesting he may have broken his left arm.
Ponga was only cleared to play for the Kiwis at the start of the year, after the ARL Commission relaxed Origin international eligibility rules to enable Queensland and New South Wales Origin representatives to play for New Zealand. His possible injury will be a major concern for the Kiwis' tournament hopes.