What changed
Australia defeated New Zealand 24-22 in the opening match of the 2026 Rugby League World Cup in Sydney on 15 October. Jack Bostock marked his Australia debut with three tries, including the late score that settled a match watched by more than 40,000 fans.
Australia came back from 6-0, 16-10 and 22-16 down. New Zealand scored through Casey McLean and Kalyn Ponga, while Australia’s other tries came from Tom Trbojevic and Reece Walsh.
Why it matters
This was not a gentle tournament opener. New Zealand’s pack controlled much of the match and repeatedly put Australia under pressure, but Australia kept finding escape routes. Two misplaced New Zealand passes helped create long-range tries, and Bostock twice won aerial contests before his decisive finish.
That makes Australia’s victory more revealing than a routine win. The defending champions were outplayed for long stretches, yet still had enough defensive resolve and attacking quality to turn a six-point deficit into victory in the final minutes. Informed speculation says New Zealand may have left Sydney feeling they lost control of a game they had largely shaped; if these teams meet again in the final scheduled for 15 November, the smallest errors could matter just as much.
The individual contest between Walsh and Ponga added another layer. Ponga scored twice and appeared to be winning the duel until Walsh produced a long-range try to bring Australia within two points. Ponga later left with a suspected broken arm and finished the night wearing a sling, though the injury was not confirmed as a fracture.
For now, Australia has the result and New Zealand has the stronger case that this rivalry remains wide open. The opener delivered a warning to the rest of the tournament: keeping Australia under pressure for 75 minutes may still not be enough.
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